iCare Compassionately: A Model for Integrating Compassionate Care Into Nursing Education

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Compassionate care is vital for patient outcomes and nurse well-being.
• Existing models lack integration into nursing curricula, leaving new nurses unprepared.
• A gap exists in structured approaches to teaching compassionate care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the iCare Compassionately model for integrating compassionate care into nursing education.
• To provide operational definitions supporting faculty and student learning.
• To address the lack of preparedness in new nurses regarding compassionate care.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of the iCare Compassionately model at a nursing college.
• Utilizing operational definitions to guide teaching and learning.
• Training faculty and staff on the new model.

Main Results:

• Students showed positive trends in self-reported compassionate care competence.
• 98% of trained faculty and staff identified strategies to enhance compassionate care.
• 94% reported sustained improvements at 90-day follow-up, with anecdotal evidence of improved student perception of care.

Conclusions:

• The iCare Compassionately model offers a foundational approach for nurse educators.
• It facilitates the integration of compassionate care into both didactic and clinical nursing courses.
• The model shows promise in enhancing nurse preparedness and patient care.