The relationship between empathy and altruistic motivations in nursing studies: a multi-method study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Nursing Studies
• Professional Empathy

Background:

• Effective patient care relies on healthcare professionals' relational competences, with empathy being a key skill.
• Understanding undergraduate nursing students' empathy levels is vital for designing targeted educational programs.
• This study investigates the relationship between nursing students' attitudes toward empathy and their motivations for pursuing nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure first-year undergraduate nursing students' attitudes towards professional empathy.
• To evaluate students' motivations for entering nursing education.
• To examine the association between empathy attitudes and prosocial/altruistic motivations.

Main Methods:

• A multi-method approach involving 77 first-year nursing students.
• Utilized the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) - Health Professions Student Version.
• Thematic analysis of open-ended questions for motivations, coupled with factor analysis and linear models to assess associations.

Main Results:

• Seven motivational themes (internal/external) were identified.
• Female students scored higher on empathy than males, particularly younger students.
• Higher empathy scores correlated positively with altruistic motivations and negatively with external factors on the Compassionate Care subscale.

Conclusions:

• Assessing nursing students' empathy and motivations is crucial for educators.
• Training should focus on enhancing relational skills and reinforcing positive motivational aspects.
• This knowledge aids in developing effective educational strategies for future healthcare professionals.