1. Empathy as an Asset By Maria Macauley
“Mother and child holding hands” image courtesy of Office.com Clip Art

2. “How do nurses show empathy?”
My Question
What is empathy?
What’s the difference between empathy and apathy, sympathy, compassion, pity, etc.?
“How do nurses show empathy?”
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3. Understanding Learning how to listen Studies
“Regardless of how rude or irritating the other person is, it is always worse to be the one experiencing the personal crises.” – Katie Morales (2012)
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4. Challenges of Empathy Studies It takes time. Requires our attention.
Requires we push aside our own baggage.
Switches our outlook from ourselves to others.
“Empathy allows us to be fully human and gives others permission to do the same.” - Julie Fuimano (2010)
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5. Perspective (of someone else) = empathy.
Studies
Perspective (of someone else) = empathy.
Empathy has a positive impact on nurses.
“Perspective taking enhances job satisfaction, work engagement and reduces turnover intention. Compassion does not.” - Letizia Dal Santo
“Silhouette of a nurse pushing a patient in a wheelchair” image courtesy of Office.com

6. Methods
Hospital survey of 10 patients. (It was a slow day).
Casual questioning and observing.
Surveys
and
observations.

7. Survey B, C, and D all have something in common.
1. Do you feel like you’re being understood by your nurse? If so, how? If not, how?
80% felt like their nurse understood them.
The other 20% did not, both saying similarly that their nurse has only came in to talk to them once, and therefore can’t have a full understanding of them.
2. To you, is empathy or sympathy more important in a nurse?
100% said empathy.
3. Do you feel that your nurse…
A. Hasn’t shown you much empathy?
B. Takes the time to listen to and understand you?
C. Explains everything to you in a clear, respectful manner?
D. Has built a relationship with you?
70% said B, C, and D.
20% said A
10% said C
4. Do you expect nurses to go above and beyond just “regular care”?
100% said that they expect nurses to go above and beyond regular care.
5. What are ways that you think nurses can go above and beyond this “regular care”?
60% said: Nurses who can simply talk with them about how they’re feeling in an open, nonjudgmental environment is going above and beyond.
20% said: Nurses who try to cultivate relationships with their patients are going above and beyond.
10% said: Nurses who don’t treat their patients like patients when it comes to how they’re feeling emotionally.
10% said: A nurse that gives shots that don’t hurt.
Survey
B, C, and D all have something in common.

8. Observations Observation Interpretation
Patient is laying on a bed in the hallway. Nurse smiles and puts hand on patients shoulder.
The way I see it, here is where the nurse is trying to connect with her patient. By putting her hand on their shoulder, it’s as if she’s trying to give them that feeling of being cared for. Receiving a gentle touch from someone who can help you must be comforting when you’re sitting alone in a bed in the hallway.
The nurse in the other room is asking questions loudly to a patient.
The patient is older and must have a difficult time hearing. In order for a nurse to give her best care, she needs to know what’s wrong. She’s probably asking questions loudly so the patient can hear her and respond to her accurately.
A nurse walks into a room and immediately begins to smile.
To me, I saw someone who was sick of paperwork and ready to do some interactions with her patient, as if finally being able to go back to them was refreshing. Though I’m sure she’s been having a long day, she still made it a point to smile for her patient. Seeing someone smiling usually makes me smile, so perhaps a smile would be a good medication every now and then.
While walking by a room, a nurse tells her patient “I know it hurts, I’m sorry.”
At first I thought this was sympathy, but I peeked into the room and saw a look of distress on the nurse’s face. That instance I knew that she was internalizing the pain that her patient felt and was genuinely trying to make it better because she put herself in her patient’s shoes. I saw this just from the look on her face. You don’t see a look of distress on someone who doesn’t care.
Observations
Particularly, people want to be understood.

9. Analysis
Listening to and understand patients, is what builds that important relationship.
Empathy is as good a medicine as any.
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10. Analysis
Empathy has nothing but a positive impact on patients and their nurses.
“Knowing” and “understanding” are two very different things.
“People with plus sign” image courtesy of Office.com

11. Closing Thoughts
Should nursing professors specifically make a point to bring empathy into their teachings, even if the lesson don’t call for it?
Empathy IS an asset…for everyone.

12. Reflection/What I Learned
How to make observations…effectively.
Transforming information from one medium to another.
Reflection/What I Learned
“Close up of a hand reaching out to help” image courtesy of Office.com

13. Reference Page
Mother and child holding hands – close up (n.d.). Office.com. [image]. Retrieved March 28 from Office.com
Nurse hat (n.d). Office.com. [image]. Retrieved March 29 from Office.com
Female nurse checking heart rate on an elderly patient (n.d). Office.com. [image]. Retrieved March 28 from Office.com
Morales, K. (11, 2012). The importance of empathy in nursing. Retrieved from
Nurse examining patient that is in a cast
Fuimano, J. (11, 2010). The importance of empathy in the workplace. Retrieved from workplace/158315

14. Reference Page
Silhouette of a nurse pushing a patient in a wheelchair (n.d). Office.com. [image]. Retrieved March 29 from Office.com
Dal Santo, L., Pohl , S., Saiani, L., & Battistelli, A. (2014). Empathy in the emotional interactions with patients. is it positive for nurses too? Journal of Nursing Education and Practice. Retrieved from
Communication, councilors, desk, doctors (n.d). Office.com. [image]. Retrieved March 29 from Office.com
People with plus sign (n.d). Office.com. [image]. Retrieved March 29 from Office.com
Close up of a hand reaching out to help (n.d). Office.com. [image]. Retrieved March 29 from Office.com