Active-empathic listening scale: a reliability and validity study in nursing students

Active-empathic listening is a fundamental component of therapeutic communication. It plays a vital role in providing person-centered care thanks to its multi-dimensional structure encompassing emotional awareness and cognitive engagement. High-quality undergraduate and graduate nursing education facilitates the development of active-empathic listening skills, thereby increasing the effectiveness of patient care.

The aim of this study was to conduct a reliability and validity study of the Turkish version of the Active Empathic Listening Scale (AELS-TR) and to adapt it to Turkish culture.

The sample of this descriptive, cross-sectional, and methodological-design study consisted of 405 nursing faculty students who voluntarily participated. Data were collected using an online survey method, a descriptive information form, AELS, and the Communication Skills Scale. The scale's language and content validity were ensured, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) models were administered. Item-total correlation analyses and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were calculated to evaluate the reliability of the AELS-TR.

The content validity index value of the Turkish version of the Active Empathetic Listening Scale was 1.00. CFA results showed that the χ²/SD value indicating excellent fit was 1.78; the comparative fit index and goodness of fit index values were 0.97 and 0.96, respectively. Internal consistency was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.86; test-retest reliability was obtained with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.717 (p < 0.001).

The findings confirm that the AELS-TR is a psychometrically robust instrument for evaluating Turkish nursing students' listening competencies and it could be a useful instrument in nursing education.