Formulación de un plan de fortalecimiento de las habilidades blandas de los estudiantes del programa de optometría de la universidad Santo Tomás – sede Bucaramanga.

Abstract

Problem Strengthening soft skills in higher education represents a significant challenge in health related programs, where human interaction is essential for professional practice, highlighting within the Optometry program the need to recognize the level of development of these competencies based on students’ self-perception. Objective To formulate a soft skills strengthening plan aimed at students of the Optometry program at Universidad Santo Tomás – Bucaramanga campus, based on a quantitative diagnosis. Method A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional, and non-experimental approach was adopted through the application of a structured instrument that allowed the identification of the level of development of socio-emotional skills and students’ perception of their importance in academic and professional contexts; data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Strengths were identified in skills such as teamwork, as well as areas for improvement in assertive communication and leadership, which enabled the design of a plan integrating objectives, strategic actions, pedagogical resources, and monitoring indicators. Discussion The findings highlight the need to intentionally incorporate soft skills development into the educational process, proposing a structured strategy as a supportive tool for future academic implementation