Nursing Students’ Intent to Learn Sign Language in Iloilo City

Abstract

Aims: The study aimed to assess the perceptions and intent of nursing students in a private institution in Iloilo toward learning sign language and to identify factors that influence their willingness to learn. The results served as a basis for recommending the integration of sign language into the nursing curriculum in order to provide a more equitable healthcare to patients. Study Design: A descriptive-correlational research design was used to determine the relationship between perceived interest, perceived importance, perceived barriers, and the intent of students in learning sign language. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at a private school in Iloilo City during the first and second semesters in the academic year 2025-2026. Methodology: We included 325 nursing students from 1st to 4th year, enrolled in the academic year 2025–2026, using stratified random sampling, where 96 were first year, 68 were second year, 80 were third year, and 81 were fourth year nursing students. Data were collected through two adopted questionnaires, “Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Deaf Patients Among Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia” (Alamro et al., 2023) and “Nursing and Midwifery Students’ Perceptions of Sign Language Training in Ghana: Relevance, Instructional Methods, and Assessment Practices” (Opoku et al., 2025), along with a researcher-made questionnaire, which measured perceived interest, perceived importance, perceived communication-related barriers, and intent to learn sign language. Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation Analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: Findings revealed that nursing students demonstrated a high level of intent to learn sign language (M = 3.96). They also showed a high level of perceived interest (M = 4.10) and perceived importance (M = 4.24), while communication-related barriers were rated as average (M = 3.24). Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation analysis showed that perceived interest (rs = 0.631, p < .001) and perceived importance (rs = 0.631, p < .001) had a strong and significant relationship with students’ intent to learn sign language. This indicates that higher interest and recognition of importance increase students’ willingness to learn. In contrast, communication-related barriers showed no significant relationship with intent (rs = 0.000, p = 0.997), suggesting that perceived difficulties do not affect students’ motivation. Overall, students’ intent to learn sign language is mainly influenced by their interest and perceived importance, rather than by perceived barriers. Conclusion: Nursing students recognize the value of sign language in clinical practice and possess a strong desire to acquire these skills. Since interest and perceived importance are primary drivers of their motivation, academic institutions should leverage this positive attitude by integrating sign language training into the nursing curriculum to enhance inclusive patient care.