Nurses' empathy and patients' satisfaction with nursing care

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Quality
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Patient satisfaction is a key indicator of healthcare quality.
• The role of nurse empathy in patient satisfaction is frequently debated.
• Understanding this relationship can inform nursing education and practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between registered nurses' self-reported empathy and patients' perceptions of satisfaction with nursing care.
• To determine if higher levels of nurse empathy correlate with higher patient satisfaction scores.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a volunteer sample of registered nurses and their patients.
• Administered the Empathy Construct Rating Scale to nurses.
• Employed the LaMonica/Oberst Patient Satisfaction Scale for patients.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant relationship was found between nurses' empathy levels and patients' satisfaction with care.
• Patients reported general satisfaction with nursing care in acute care settings.
• The study did not support the hypothesis that increased nurse empathy leads to increased patient satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Empathy training programs for nurses may not be essential for enhancing patient satisfaction.
• While patients are generally satisfied, nurse empathy does not appear to be a significant contributing factor in acute care settings.
• Further research is recommended to explore other potential factors influencing patient satisfaction.