Exploring empathy as a variable in the evaluation of professional development programs for palliative care nurses

Abstract

Research indicates that empathy, a quality regarded as fundamentally important to nursing practice, is a teachable skill. Because empathic nurse-patient relationships are particularly important in the care of the terminally ill, this has direct relevance to the professional development of palliative care nurses. This article discusses the place of empathy as a criterion variable in the evaluation of a professional development program for palliative care nurses introduced at the Centre for Mental Health Nursing Research at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. A modified version of the Staff-Patient Interaction Response Scale (SPIRS) was used as a pre- and postintervention measure to assess the expressed empathy of the participating nurses. The modifications to SPIR and its coding system to make it suitable for palliative care nursing, and the mechanisms for improving and evaluating the reliability of this instrument will be discussed. The full description of this particular modification of SPIRS for palliative care research is provided as an example of how this instrument could be used in projects for which nurses undertake the difficult task of providing compassionate care to the terminally ill.

Developing Empathy in Nurses: An Inservice Training Program

“…Inservice training was influential in this study in increasing the nurses' empathy levels, in agreement with the literature (Chant et al, 2002;Gysels et al, 2005;Yates, Hart, Clinton, McGrath, & Garthy, 1998). However, some studies found limited or no change (as cited in Kruijver et al, 2000;Razavi & Delvaux, 1997;Watson et al, 2000).…”

Measurement of empathy in nursing research: systematic review

“…1988, Nardi 1990, Wilt et al. 1995, Yates et al. 1998, Cutcliffe & Cassedy 1999, Oz 2001, Beddoe & Murphy 2004, Ancel 2006).…”

“…It is unclear whether this improvement was sustained. In an Australian study of palliative care nurses ( n = 181), it was reported that increased empathy was sustained three months after the completion of the programme (Yates et al. 1998).…”

“…1994, Wheeler et al. 1996), palliative care (Yates et al. 1998), medical and surgical care (Warner 1992, Olson 1995, Watt‐Watson et al.…”

Work of art dialogues: An educational technique by which students discover personal knowledge of empathy

“…[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] The concept of empathy was originally considered in the work of Carl Rogers. It is generally accepted that the quality of empathy is central to caring competence, because it fulfils important nursing goals, such as effective patient-nurse relationships.…”