Relationship Between the Problem-Solving Skills and Empathy Skills of Operating Room Nurses

The use of empathy in problem solving and communication is a focus of nursing practice and is of great significance in raising the quality of patient care.

The purposes of this study are to investigate the relationship between problem solving and empathy among operating room nurses and to explore the factors that relate to these two competencies.

This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study. Study data were gathered using a personal information form, the Interpersonal Problem Solving Inventory, and the Basic Empathy Scale (N = 80). Descriptive and comparative statistics were employed to evaluate the study data.

Age, marital status, and career length were not found to affect the subscale scores of cognitive empathy (p > .05). A negative correlation was found between the subscale scores for "diffidence" and "cognitive empathy." Moreover, the emotional empathy scores of the graduate nurses were higher than those of the master's/doctorate degree nurses to a degree that approached significance (p = .078). Furthermore, emotional empathy levels were found to decrease as the scores for insistent/persistent approach, lack of self-confidence, and educational level increased (p < .05). The descriptive characteristics of the participating nurses were found not to affect their problem-solving skills.

Problem solving is a focus of nursing practice and of great importance for raising the quality of patient care. Constructive problem-solving skills affect cognitive empathy skills. Educational level and career length were found to relate negatively and level of self-confidence was found to relate positively with level of cognitive empathy. Finally, lower empathy scores were associated with difficult working conditions in operating rooms, intense stress, and high levels of potential stress-driven conflicts between workers in work settings.