Relationships Between Nurse‐Expressed Empathy, Patient‐Perceived Empathy and Patient Distress

Abstract

It is increasingly important that nursing care be associated with measurable patient outcomes. A correlational study examined relationships between nurse-expressed empathy and two patient outcomes: patient perceived empathy and patient distress. Subjects (N = 140) were randomly selected from RNs and patients on medical and surgical units in two urban, acute care hospitals. Nurse-subjects (N = 70) completed two measures of nurse-expressed empathy: the Behavioral Test of Interpersonal Skills and the Staff-Patient Interaction Response Scale. Patient-subjects (N = 70) completed the Profile of Mood States, the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist, and the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory. Findings indicated a negative relationship (r = .71, p< .001) between a set of empathy variables and a set of patient distress variables and a positive relationship between nurse-expressed and patient perceived empathy (r = .37-.47, p < .05). This study is one of the first to link behavioral measures of nurse empathy to patient outcomes.

The experiences of prepregnancy care for women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-synthesis

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Predictors of Self-Reported Likelihood of Working with Older Adults

“…It has been well documented that empathy is a vital component of the helping relationship (Keefe, 1976;Reynolds & Scott, 1999) and enhances the well-being of those served (Hollinger-Samson & Pearson, 1999;LaMonica, Wolf, Madea, & Oberst, 1987;Olson, 1995). Unfortunately, we know very little about how empathy relates to students' choice of academic major and=or to interest in working with elders, although there is a small but persistent body of research that continues to link empathy and other related characteristics to students' choices of academic majors.…”

Factors Affecting Nursing Interventions for Pain among Nurses in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

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