Prog Health Sci 2014, Vol 4, No2 Understanding concept empathy relation nursing

Understanding the concept of empathy in relation to nursing

Marcysiak M.1, Dąbrowska O, Marcysiak MB.2*

1
Cabinet Psychological, Ciechanów, Poland
2
Propedeutics Department of Nursing and Social Sciences, Department of Health and Human
Sciences, State Higher Vocational School in Ciechanów, Poland

ABSTRACT
___________________________________________________________________________
Purpose: To understand the concept of empathy show of compassion. There are significant
by nurses, get to know the importance of empathy differences between the level of empathy of nurses
in performance the work of a nurse and to and the control group. The differences relate to the
determine the ability of empathy among nurses. results in the scale of perspective-taking and the
Materials and methods: The study group scale of empathic concern. Nurses often are able to
consisted of 100 nurses (females and males) feel the experience of others, and appear to
working in hospitals and clinics in Mazovia concern the other (p<0.05). Understanding
province. The control group consisted of 100 empathy is associated with more frequent
persons engaged in office work. A diagnostic displaying the feeling of anger. This is a positive
survey method was used in the research. The feature, because those people had a better self-
research tools were: Davis’ Interpersonal awareness and their experiences, including anger.
Reactivity Index, Emotional Control Scale and a They could express it on the outside, usually in the
questionnaire prepared by the team concerning the socially acceptable way. It was similar with those
concept of empathy in the opinion of nurses and who were convinced of the positive impact of
presenting their opinion on the importance of experiencing emotions during the healing process.
empathy in personal contact with the patient. Conclusions: Empathy is a positive factor
Results: The level of knowledge on empathy influencing the quality of conducted nursing work.
among nurses is on the average level. The average Steps should be taken to introduce workshops of
score on this scale was 17.35 (SD=3.40). Almost interpersonal skills as a module in the nurses’
85% of the respondents claimed that empathy is training course.
equal with compassion shown to the other person - Key words: Understanding, concept empathy,
the patient. Empathy was often confused with the nurses
__________________________________________________________________________________________

*Corresponding author:
Małgorzata Barbara Marcysiak
Propedeutics Department of Nursing and Social Sciences
Department of Health and Human Sciences
State Higher Vocational School in Ciechanów, Poland
e-mail: [email protected]

Received: 09.05.2014
Accepted: 28.09.2014
Progress in Health Sciences
Vol. 4(2) 2014 pp 75-81
© Medical University of Białystok, Poland

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Prog Health Sci 2014, Vol 4, No2 Understanding concept empathy relation nursing

INTRODUCTION mothers to daughters affects the growth of empathy.

The empathic communication that occurs between a
Empathy in psychology is defined as the child, and a group leads to the internalization of
identification of own experiences with the object’s values and attitudes. It also affects the development
feelings or participation in the experiences of other of a healthy personality. The level of empathy is
people [1]. Psychoanalysis emphasizes the also related to features of a person who is the
importance of the emotional components of source of the emotional response. One of the
empathy: the emotional sensitivity and ability to co- variables is the similarity to the person who is the
feel the other person’s feelings. Those enable to receiver and the transmitter of empathy [2]. The
create mature human relationships without a level of closeness between the linked people also
concern for the keeping and maintaining own self- determines the intensity of empathy. It depends on
identity. These skills are the basis for understanding the direct effect of emotional stimuli. The effect of
the other person's feelings, her life situation and empathy depends not only on the degree of physical
allow the prediction of his or her future behaviour intimacy but also on mental link and frequency of
[2]. Empathy requires recognizing that what is contact with another person [1].
happening in the brain of another person, imagining The communication component of
what it means to be in this state of mind, empathy is manifested in communicating people’s
experiencing the emotional consequences of such own experiences, being goal oriented with
an understanding and empathy for the feelings of experience of the other person's needs as well as the
others [2,3]. The cognitive character of empathy is pro-social behaviour [1,4]. Conditions such as
associated with the ability to perceive and silence, soft lighting, and the lack of perceptual
understand the other person as well as taking the pressure from other people help emotional contact
other's perspective. It also determines the effective [5]. Among the internal predispositions, leading to
communication as it allows the modification of going through the empathic feeling is: motivation,
language expressions used in accordance with a interest, having the experience of being treated in
partner’s language skills and perception together an empathetic way. In terms of the relationship
with his/her needs of information. Empathy is between a nurse and a patient, empathy is
sometimes defined as the ability to understand and sometimes understood as the ability to enter another
perceiving the meaning of communication [4]. person’s life in order to perceive his/her or her
On the other hand, the behavioural feelings and their meanings. Empathy is therefore,
component of empathy is the skill and ability to of the greatest value at the time of a nurse’s contact
communicate and understand from the point of with the patient [7]. However, another feature of
view of another person. It relies on a repertoire of empathy is the accurate perception of the patient’s
programs of communication (verbal and feelings by a nurse and her/his clear formulation of
nonverbal). People who are deprived of the thoughts. The empathic agreement must be
empathy ability are aggressive, with strong expressed in the patient’s language [1,4].
personality, imposing their will and vision of the The ability to feel empathy is of particular
world. They cannot stand the opposition and do not importance in professions in which contact with
allow their consciousness to accept the fact or another human plays a fundamental role [8]. The
possibility of making a mistake. Empathy is often relation of help is a meeting of two separate persons
confused with sympathy [1,5]. It is also a complex who create a common field of activity [1,9]. This
process which involves at least two ways of meeting needs to go beyond ourselves. One has to
neuronal processing - "bottom-up" and "top-down". turn to another man, help him reveal his own
The acting of the first is probably based on the weakness. While the situation of a person who is
mirror neuron system [6]. helping to create the feeling that engaging in other
Among the determinants of empathy, there people's affairs could disturb the peace of those
can be distinguished individual characteristics of who are helped.
the person being our scientific object. Those On the other hand, they are driven by
include: gender, age, personality and education. The feelings like the duty and responsibility. The helper
empathic sensitivity is a sign of the general level of is never quite sure what is really expected by the
sensitivity of the individual person, and this assisted [9]. Empathy is an important feature that
sensitivity depends on a person’s innate helps the therapeutic results. When it lacks it is
characteristics [6]. Women’s higher emotional likely that the burnout syndrome will appear [10,
sensitivity favours their higher empathy. Empathy 11]. Empathy requires commitment, a high level of
develops throughout a person's life and an energy, and it is an affective process [12].
important factor in stimulating this kind of The aim of the study was to understand the
sensitivity is considered to be the family concept of empathy by nurses, get to know the
environment. Sullivan emphasizes the role of importance of empathy in performance the work of
contact between a mother and her child who forms a nurse and to determine the ability of empathy
emotional empathy [2]. The positive attitude of among nurses.

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Prog Health Sci 2014, Vol 4, No2 Understanding concept empathy relation nursing

MATERIALS AND METHODS understanding of the concept of empathy and

supporting one of the two attitudes towards the
The study group consisted of 100 people – patient. One of them was keeping distance and
nurses (females and males) working in hospitals cutting off the feelings while working with the
and clinics in Mazovia province. They were patient. The second was showing emotions (such as
students and graduates of bridging nursing studies kindness, understanding, interest) which a factor is
(studies for working nurses leading to achieving aiming to speed up the patient's recovery. The
BA Degree in Nursing). Among the nurses, were 93 questionnaire was characterized by acceptable
women (93%) and seven men (7%) aged 30 to 57 reliability.
years. The average age was 44.6 ± (SD) 6.56 years. The results were subjected to statistical
Among the respondents, 78% were working in analysis and the statistical hypotheses' verification.
hospitals; the remaining 22% were working in To compare the average results, the t-student test
clinics. The average length of professional was used for independent groups. The Pearson’s r
experience in nursing was 22.67 ± 8.15 years. The correlation was used as well. Statistical significance
study was conducted in 2014 at the State Higher was defined as p=0.05. For the calculations, the
Vocational School in Ciechanów and in Provincial SPSS statistical package was used. As a result of
Specialist Hospital in Ciechanów. The control the test procedure, 100 complete and correctly filled
group consisted of 100 persons engaged in office tests were collected.
work. The average age in the control group was
41.2 years. Members of the control group RESULTS
performed only IRI questionnaire (because their
work was not associated with a hospital). All The normality of the distribution of all the
subjects gave informed consent to participate in included variables was tested using the non-
research. parametric test of Kolmogorov-Smirnov. In the
A diagnostic survey method was used in case of the variables, there were no grounds to
the research. The research tools were: Davis’ reject the hypothesis of normal distribution;
Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), Emotional therefore, it was assumed that the distribution of
Control Scale (CECS) by M. Watson and S. Greer variables is a normal distribution.
adapted by Juczyński and a questionnaire prepared
by the team concerning the concept of empathy in Table 1. Understanding empathy by nurses –
the opinion of nurses and presenting their opinion descriptive statistics.
on the importance of empathy in personal contact
with the patient.
N Min. Max. Mean SD
The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)
consists of 28 statements. The respondents indicate Understanding
the degree which describes them best on the five- the concept of 100 10.0 25.0 17.35 3.40
point scale. The questionnaire consists of four sub empathy
scales:: a fantasy scale measuring propensity to be Perceiving
transferred in the imagination of the respondent into emotions as a 100 5.0 24.0 15.05 4.53
fictional situations, the scale of perspective-taking threat
(adopting the point of view of others in everyday Perceiving
emotions as a
life), the scale of empathic concern (assessing the favourable
100 14.0 28.0 23.13 2.80
ability to co-feeling with people affected by the factor
failure) and a personal distress scale (the tendency
to feel a discomfort while being faced with other The level of knowledge on empathy
people’s suffering). The inner reliability indicator is among nurses is on the average level. The average
in the range of 0.70 - 0.78 and is acceptable. score on this scale was 17.35 (SD=3.40) - a
The Emotional Control Scale contains 21 minimum score 10.0, the maximum score 25.00.
statements concerning the revealing of three basic There are large uncertainties concerning
emotions: anger, depression and anxiety. The the terminology among the respondents. As many
respondents’ task is to determine how often in as 85% of the respondents claimed that empathy
situations of experiencing these emotions they are was equal with compassion shown to the other
revealed or suppressed. The reliability indicator of person - the patient. Only 7% of the nurses
the test is measured with the method of alpha responding presented a different opinion. Another
Cronbach. It is high, and for the total indicator of 8% of respondents declared their lack of knowledge
the emotion control equals 0.87. on the subject. Empathy was often confused with
The questionnaire prepared by the research the show of compassion. Some problems were also
team consisted of 21 questions. Respondents caused by the term of co-feeling of the patient’s
provided answers on the Likert’s scale. The emotional states. 69% of the respondents
questions were focused on nurses’ perception and understood empathy as co-feeling, 14% were of the

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Prog Health Sci 2014, Vol 4, No2 Understanding concept empathy relation nursing

opposite opinion and 17% of the nurses were not score of nurses on a scale of fantasy was 13.34
able to answer this question. (SD=4.61). On a scale of adoption of taking other
The vast majority of respondents (83%) people’s perspective; the average score was 18.25
correctly recognized empathy as one of the (SD=3.38). On a scale of empathic concern, which
components of emotional intelligence and one of is the main indicator of empathy, the average score
the psychological skills. of nurses surveyed was 19.27 (SD=4.12), and the
The average score achieved by nurses on a scale of personal distress - 14.34 (SD=4.37).
scale of their perception of experiencing emotions In the scales of the CECS questionnaire,
at work as a threat to the health and well-being of a higher scores indicated a more frequent tendency to
nurse was 15.05 (SD=4.53) - a minimum score 5.0; experience and express emotion on the outside. The
the maximum result was 24.00. The greater highest scores were in the area of showing the
polarization of groups was noticed here. Questions feeling of anxiety on the outside (mean/
here related to the opinion of nurses about their average=18.10, SD=4.61).
experiences and emotions at work (Tab. 1). Experiencing grief and depression was less
According to most respondents (52%) their frequently shown by respondents (mean=17.28,
experienced emotions interfere with daily work SD=4.10), displaying the feeling of anger was the
with a patient. The opposite view was shared by least admitted experience (mean/average=16.13,
21% of the respondents. The remaining group - SD= 4.51). Relatively it was the feeling of anger,
27% did not have a definite opinion on the subject. which was suppressed most often.
However, only 13% of respondents felt that their
feelings were evidence of weakness. The opposite Table 2. Understanding the concept of empathy
view was shared by 62% of the respondents. (EMP1) and examined variables.
According to 24% of the respondents, the
cool professional attitude at work is better than Variable Mean/average t P
experiencing the feelings. The opposite view was
shared by 38% of the respondents. The remaining LEMP1 HEMP1 value
group of 38% could not give a definite answer to
this question. IRI-F 12.8571 13.8000 0.952 0.344
The average score on a scale of nurses’
perception of experiencing emotions at work as a IRI-TP 17.1190 19.3111 3.175 0.002*
factor contributing to the well-being of staff and the
process of patients’ recovery was 23.13 (SD=2.80). IRI-EC 18.6905 19.8222 1.284 0.202
The minimum score was 14.0, the maximum score
IRI-OD 14.1905 14.4889 0.317 0.752
28.00. The questions on a scale related to nurses’
opinions concerning the impact of positive ANGER 15.3333 16.8889 1.623 0.108
emotions on the atmosphere in the hospital ward as
well as its influence on patients (Tab.1). GRIEF 17.3095 17.2667 -0.048 0.962
According to 90% of the respondents, a
good nurse is one who takes into account the FEAR 17.8333 18.3556 0.525 0.601
feelings and emotions experienced by patients. The
opposite view was shared by only 3% of *p<0.05
respondents, while 41% of respondents said that IRIF – fantasy, IRI-TP – taking the perspective,
showing affection in relation to a patient IRI-EC – empathic care, IRI-OD – own distress,
demonstrates the nurse’s professionalism. The ANGER – proneness to display anger,
opposite view was shared by 25% of the GRIEF – proneness to display grief and sadness,
respondents. The others could not clearly answer FEAR – proneness to display fear, LEMP1 – low
the question. level understanding the concept of empathy, HEMP1
The vast majority of respondents (90%) – high level understanding the concept of empathy
also believed that thanks to the nurse’s emotional
support, patients’ recovery process is faster. The
nurses were convinced of the feelings’ positive In the study group, there are statically
impact on patients' well-being, although they were significant relationships between the understanding
afraid of negative feelings as well. of the concept of empathy and empathy in nurses’
There are significant differences between work. Individuals with higher results on a scale of
the level of empathy of nurses and the control empathy understanding had a higher level of skills
group. The differences relate to the results in the and tendency to adopt the perspective of other
scale of perspective-taking are the scale of empathic people. Nurses who could take the perspective of a
concern. Nurses often are able to feel the patient could understand better the phenomenon of
experience of others, and appear to concern the empathy. Details are shown in Table 2.
other (p<0.05). In the IRI questionnaire, the average

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Table 3. Perception of emotion as a threat (EMP2) Table 4. Perception of emotion as a favourable

and examined variables. factor (EMP3) and examined variables.

Variable Mean t P Variable Mean t P

LEMP3 HEMP3 value
LEMP2 HEMP2 value
IRI-F 12.3261 14.4878 2.232 0.028*
IRI-F 13.1429 13.6053 0.462 0.646
IRI-TP 17.0000 19.6585 3.958 <0.001*
IRI-TP 18.6531 17.7368 -1.257 0.212 IRI-EC 17.4565 21.3171 4.912 <0.001*
IRI-PD 13.8261 14.9268 1.176 0.243
IRI-EC 19.7143 18.7105 -1.128 0.262
ANGER 15.1957 17.1951 2.106 0.038*
IRI-PD 14.5714 14.0526 -0.547 0.586
GRIEF 16.8478 17.7805 1.059 0.293
ANGER 15.8980 16.4474 0.561 0.576 FEAR 17.4348 18.8537 1.441 0.153

GRIEF 16.5102 18.2895 2.043 0.044* *p<0.05

IRIF – fantasy, IRI-TP – taking the perspective,
FEAR 17.7755 18.5263 0.751 0.455 IRI-EC – empathic care, IRI-PD – own distress,
ANGER – proneness to display anger, GRIEF –
*p<0.05 proneness to display grief and sadness, FEAR –
IRIF – fantasy, IRI-TP – taking the perspective, proneness to display fear, LEMP3 – low level
IRI-EC – empathic care, IRI-PD – own distress, perception of emotion as a favourable factor, HEMP3
ANGER – proneness to display anger, GRIEF – – high level perception of emotion as a favourable
proneness to display grief and sadness, FEAR – factor.
proneness to display fear, LEMP2 – low level
perception of emotion as a threat, HEMP2 – high level Nurses who were perceiving emotions in
perception of emotion as a threat. the work environment as favourable obtained
higher scores on a scale of fantasy, a scale of
Nurses who tend to perceive emotions perceiving the perspective and the empathic
which are met while working with a patient as concern. They were more often prone to co-feeling
threatening, experienced and displayed the feelings towards the sick and those being in need. The
of sadness and depression more often. Perhaps nurses were more aware of their emotions; they also
depressive tendencies were perceived as experienced negative emotions more often
threatening, hence the results (Tab. 3). including anger. They coped with their emotions
more often than suppressing them and keeping
inside (Tab. 4).

Table 5. Understanding the importance of empathy and emotions at work and empathy and seniority
(Pearson’s r).

Variable EMP1 EMP2 EMP3 IRI-F IRI-TP IRI-EC IRI-PD Seniority

EMP1 1
EMP2 -0.186 1
EMP3 0.472* -.0223* 1
*
IRI-F 0.224 0.074 0.290* 1
* *
IRI-TP 0.365 -0.262 0.471* 0.185 1
IRI-EC 0.150 -0.210 0.455* 0.277* 0.522* 1
*
IRI-PD -0.015 0.016 0.140 0.247 0.068 0.159 1
Seniority 0.104 -0.041 0.144 0.018 0.062 0.142 0.245* 1
Correlation coefficients. The significance r is determined with asterisk * - p < 0.05, IRI-F - fantasy, IRI-TP -
reception of perspective, IRI-EC - empathic care, IRI-PD - personal distress.

A higher level of knowledge on the tendency to fantasize and skills of transferring into
concept of empathy has been significantly fictional situations.
associated with a higher perception of the positive These people more often could accept the
impact on the patient’s functioning. Understanding psychological point of view of other people – the
the empathy is associated with more frequent patients in the daily functioning of the hospital
ward. People perceiving the displaying of emotions

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Prog Health Sci 2014, Vol 4, No2 Understanding concept empathy relation nursing

and feelings as threatening were less often logical perspective of others. The perception of
convinced of their positive effects on the healing emotions at work as beneficial is associated with a
process. These people had a lower level of skill of greater tendency to fantasize, perspective-taking
co-feeling/empathy the adoption of the psycho- and showing the empathic concern (Tab. 5).

Table 6. Understanding the empathy and the meaning of emotions at work and the control of emotions
(Pearson’s r).

Variable EMP1 EMP2 EMP3 ANGER GRIEF FEAR Seniority

EMP1 1
EMP2 -.0186 1
EMP3 0.472* -0.223* 1
*
ANGER 0.226 0.116 0.216* 1
*
GRIEF -0.019 0.274 0.138 0.526* 1
FEAR 0.032 0.125 0.100 0.529* 0.484* 1
Seniority 0.104 -0.041 0.144 0.135 0.014 -0.028 1
Correlation coefficients. The significance r is determined with asterisk * - p < 0.05. ANGER - proneness to
display anger, GRIEF - proneness to display sadness and dejection, FEAR - proneness to showing fear.

Understanding empathy is associated with Wilczek - Rużyczka examined the attitudes

more frequent displaying the feeling of anger. This of nurses and doctors towards suffering [9]. The
is a positive feature, because those people had a results show the relationship between the own
better self-awareness and their experiences, nurses’ experience of suffering and their subsequent
including anger. They could express it on the attitudes in relation to the suffering patients. If the
outside, usually in the socially acceptable way. It person taking care of the suffering patient
was similar with those who were convinced of the demonstrates the acceptance of suffering, it will
positive impact of experiencing emotions during the help the patient come to terms with his life
healing process. The perception of emotions as situation. In addition, based on research conducted
threatening is associated with more frequent with the Questionnaire of Attitudes towards
disclosure of sadness and depression as well as Suffering by Makselon showed positive attitudes of
broadly meaning of depressiveness (Tab. 6). nurses towards suffering, indicating the existence of
advantage of components of cognitive-emotional
DISCUSSION attitude over the behavioural one.
Motyka [8] studied the level of empathy in
Despite numerous studies on empathy, a group of 40 graduates of three-year nursing
there are relatively few publications about the degree programs which were continuing their
topics which are covered in this work. In our study, education towards a master's degree. The study
the nurses have shown an average understanding of used the Empathy Scale of Mehrebian and Epstein
the concept of empathy. Those who represented a and the Questionnaire of Empathic Reaction. The
higher level of knowledge on the subject perceived results of this research confirm the positive
the impact of empathy on the patients’ functioning influence of nursing studies on verbal ability to
in a more positive way. show empathy. In addition, the results indicate a
The empathic ability to understand other greater tendency to be mental strengthening those
people by nursing students was in the interest of who were helped or assisted and much lower
studies conducted by Krajewska-Kułak and her proneness to small works of consoling among the
collaborators [13]. The study group consisted of students who have completed the undergraduate
237 undergraduates of nursing studies. The research nursing studies.
tool was a Questionnaire of Empathic Under- Our studies and research confirm the
standing of Other People by Węgliński. The highest results which were obtained in the study presented
level of empathy was shown by third-year students, here.
and it was on average 70.5±8.3. These relationships Dal Santo [14] tries to answer the question:
and similarities were of statistical significance if emotional interaction with patients is positive for
when comparing different years of studies. In terms nurses too? The results show that empathy is
of statistics, yet other differences were important composed by two factors: a cognitive dimension
and those concerned the level of empathy between (perspective taking) and an affective one
the female students who independently decided on (compassion). Perspective taking Enhances job
the choice of their studies and those who decided to satisfaction, work engagement and Reduces
study nursing because they were not accepted to turnover intention. Compassion does not. These
other universities and faculties (p < 0.01). findings confirm that perspective taking, and

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Prog Health Sci 2014, Vol 4, No2 Understanding concept empathy relation nursing

compassion has the different impact on nurses' 6. Jankowiak-Siuda K, Siemieniuk K, Grabowska

well-being. A. Neurobiological basis of empathy, Neuro-
psychiatr Neuropsychol. 2009:4(2):51-8.
CONCLUSIONS (Polish)
7. Kozimala M, Iwanicka A, Putowski L.The role
1. Empathy is a positive factor influencing the of empathy in the interpersonal communication
quality of conducted nursing work. patient-nurse, patient-doctor. Ann Acad Med
2. Steps should be taken to introduce workshops of Siles. 2008:62(2):131-4. (Polish)
interpersonal skills as a module in the nurses’ 8. Motyka M. The nursing studies and empathy.
training course. Sztuka leczenia. 2006:13(1/2):33-8. (Polish)
9. Wilczek-Rużyczka E, Zajkowska E, Wojtas K.
Attitudes of doctors and nurses towards
Conflicts of interest suffering. Psychotherapy. 2008;1:79-89.
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of 10. Butkiewicz A, Kaszkowiak K. The influence of
interest of this paper. emotional intelligence on the quality of care and
nurses’ work satisfaction. Pielęg Pol. 2010 (2):
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