Empathy as a Determining Factor for Nursing Career Selection

Abstract

The ability to empathize with others is a highly desirable characteristic for the delivery of quality care by nurses. Little research is available that explores the empathy characteristics of students who are attracted to nursing. The purpose of this study is to explore whether empathizing and systemizing characteristics are important factors underlying students' self-selection into and continuing success in nursing programs and whether the importance of these characteristics tends to differ for men and women who choose nursing as a career. A descriptive correlative design was used for this study of 1,872 undergraduates enrolled in a variety of majors, including nursing, at a large midwestern U.S. research university. Findings supported that nursing students had significantly higher empathy characteristics than students in other disciplines.

Levels of empathy in undergraduate emergency health, nursing, and midwifery students: a longitudinal study

“…The authors have posed several reasons for this decline: a lack of appropriate role models; negative attitudes from academic staff; an intimidating educational environment; heavy classroom and clinical assignments; and patient negativity. Another area that may contribute to lower empathy levels is the systematization of nursing education,40 or in other words, developing a systems approach, being organised and integrating systems based thinking in their work, Penprase et al40 argued that systematization may be affected by increasing levels of critical thinking, increased theoretical knowledge, and the authors have also questioned the role that hospital systems play during the clinical placement education. Nursing education, in particular, has been criticized for not providing students with the necessary skills to empathize with their patients once in a clinical setting 13…”

“…Possible measures might include, but are not limited to, role playing, exposure to positive role models, and opportunities for improving narrative skills. These and other changes in nursing education are a way forward to enhance nursing students’ understanding of the patient’s perspective that will allow the students to engage with patients empathically and, ultimately, improve clinical outcomes 5,21,40…”

“…Or are they simply associated with attracting students with higher empathy levels, as suggested by some scholars?31,40 Midwifery students undertake 2 days per week in clinical practice during their second and third years and this may have some impact. It may also be explained by the fact that midwifery is different from emergency health and nursing, as midwives care for healthy women, as well as those with underlying medical and physical conditions 41.…”

Role functions of staff nurse preceptors for undergraduate pre-licensure nursing students

“…[58][59][60] Preceptors also expressed concern regarding some students' motivation for becoming nurses. Their concern may be justified; however, there is current research that indicates students who select nursing as a career demonstrate substantially higher empathy scores compared to the general student population [61] and that experience as a nurse is not necessarily required for high levels of professional values. [62] The idea of preceptor as protector is not completely new.…”

Using Nursing Theory to Improve the Teaching of Engineering Practice

“…A comprehensive study of 1,872 undergraduate students enrolled at a large Midwestern U.S. research-university identified that nursing students have a significantly higher degree of empathy for others as compared to students in a variety of other disciplines, including engineering. 9 This current study hinges upon the hypothesis that nursing theory provides a framework for engineers from multiple disciplines to improve the learning of 'practice'. A nurse is defined as, "a person who cares for the sick or infirmed who is skilled in promoting and maintaining health," (Merriam-Webster).…”