Learning by Doing: Chinese Male Nursing Students' Experiences of Developing and Demonstrating Empathy When Caring for...

To explore the experiences of Chinese male nursing students in developing and demonstrating empathy when caring for patients in oncology wards.

A qualitative descriptive study design was employed.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 male nursing students who had completed theoretical coursework and were undergoing clinical placements in oncology wards in Anhui Province, China. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcribed interviews.

Three themes were identified, as follows: (1) challenges in translating empathy into practice, (2) determinants of empathy and (3) approaches to demonstrating empathy. Male nursing students lack systematic learning on how to demonstrate empathy, both in the classroom and during clinical placements. Although they can roughly understand the meaning of empathy from multiple informal sources, they find it difficult to implement it in practice, especially in terms of language expression. In addition, their interactive relationships with patients affect their willingness to show empathy.

Schools and clinical educators should integrate relevant courses and training into the curriculum to enhance nursing students' knowledge and skills in demonstrating empathy. For male nursing students, it is especially important to understand their experiences and needs while also focusing on improving their ability to express empathy through verbal communication.

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