Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026

A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences
Published on: September 4, 2019
Empathy in health professional students: A comparative cross-sectional study
Cristina Petrucci1, Carmen La Cerra1, Federica Aloisio1
1Department of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences - University of L'Aquila, Edificio Delta 6-Via San Salvatore, 67100 Coppito (L'Aquila), Italy.
Nursing students exhibit higher empathy levels compared to other health professions. This suggests a natural aptitude for patient care among those pursuing nursing careers, enhancing the patient-provider relationship.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Health Professions
- Psychology
Background:
- Empathy is crucial for patient-provider relationships, satisfaction, and clinical outcomes.
- It's essential for nurses to provide holistic patient care and understand patient perspectives.
- Empathy is a key trait in healthcare professional training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare empathy levels among students in various health professional university courses.
- To identify differences in empathy based on chosen health profession.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted.
- Investigated 1st-year health professional students at a public Italian university.
- Utilized the Jefferson Scale of Empathy Health Professional Students version (JSE-HPS).
Main Results:
- 502 students participated.
- Nursing students demonstrated significantly higher empathy scores than students in other health professions.
- Female students exhibited higher overall empathy than male students.
Conclusions:
- Undergraduate nursing students scored significantly higher on the JSE-HPS.
- This indicates a potential inherent aptitude for establishing therapeutic relationships among aspiring nurses.
- Findings highlight the importance of empathy in nursing education and practice.
More Related Videos
13:44Project-Based Learning Guidelines for Health Sciences Students: An Analysis with Data Mining and Qualitative Techniques
Published on: December 9, 2022
07:32Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity
Published on: February 10, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Empathy
The Professional Nurse
Communication skills: These are critical characteristics, especially speaking and listening.
Ethical Dilemmas I
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
Professional Values
The values that are the foundation of the nursing profession are altruism, autonomy, human dignity, and social justice.
First, altruism refers to the concern for the welfare and well-being of others without personal...
Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...