Emotional Skills and Nursing Training: A Study on Italian Stu-Dents and a TRI-COM Based Educational Model

Background/Objectives: Emotional competence is increasingly recognized as a core component of professional nursing. However, emotional education remains largely unstructured within nursing curricula. This study aimed to (1) propose a conceptual framework for defining and operation-alizing "emotion" in nursing education using the TRI-COM model, and (2) investigate the multi-dimensional structure of emotional competence in a sample of Italian nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 233 nursing students from various Italian universi-ties. Participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-tests, and Pearson's correlations. Results: The sample showed moderate levels of alexithymia, with 49.6% scoring above the clinical cut-off. The subscale “Externally Oriented Thinking” showed the highest prevalence (56%). Empathy scores indicated adequate perspective-taking (M = 60.95) but lower scores in compassionate care (M = 18.92). No significant gender differences were observed in overall alexithymia or empathy, though women scored slightly higher in emotional description. ANOVA results revealed no significant differences in emotional competence across years of study, though DIF scores (difficulty identifying feelings) approached significance (p = .053). Correlational analyses showed inverse relationships between age and alexithymia, and between alexithymia and empathy dimensions. Conclusions: Findings suggest an emotional competence gap among nursing students, with potential roots in learned helplessness and insufficient training. The TRI-COM model offers a pedagogically actionable structure to support the devel-opment of emotional literacy through cognitive, physiological, and motivational regulation. Structured emotional education should be integrated into nursing curricula to promote clinical efficacy and student well-being.