What Is the Impact of Showing Empathy in Nursing Practice?

Studies have suggested that empathetic nursing may positively affect the quality of nursing care, contributing to more positive outcomes in regards to the health and well-being of patients, in various degrees of ill health. Hojat (2007); Mercer & Reynolds, 2002, Raudonis, 1993). In contrast, Slaby (2014) believes that empathy has a ‘blind spot’ of imposing only the personal perspectives and life experiences of that nurse onto the patient, this therefore may lead to assumptions which could prove demeaning and incorrect. Raudonis (1993) research contradicts Slabys viewpoint, and notes in his qualitative study of 14 terminally-ill patients (in a hospice environment), that empathetic care resulted in better pain management, higher morale, and improved quality of life as well as an impression of being better acknowledged, accepted and cared for. This disproves Slaby’s (2014) point of view as Slaby implied that empathy was presumptuously driven, individualistic and selfish, and so discounted empathy as being driven by genuine concern for the patient. Slaby’s (2014) viewpoint is further disproved by Shaw, Haxell and Weblemoe (2012) who state that while the value of empathy is individually perceived, the perception of treatment as an individual rarely alters (Shaw, Haxell, & Weblemoe, 2012). Raudonis’s qualitative approach, while valid, has some weaknesses. For example it is somewhat outdated, but was utilised due to there being a limited number of qualitative studies on this topic. A possible limitation in the study, however, is that the patients assessed were receiving hospice care, which often provides a more personal approach than in a hospital ward (Lunt & Neale, 1987). The participants of the study, were mostly female cancer patient...

... middle of paper ...

...200010914?accountid=8440 (3)

Friedman, L. C., Nelson, D. V., Baer, P. E., Smith, F. E., & Dworkin, R. J. (1992). The relationship of dispositional optimism, daily life stress, and domestic environment to coping methods used by cancer patients. Journal of Behavioural Medicine, 5(2), 127-141. doi:10.1007/BF00848321 (4)

McMillan, S., & Small, B. (2007). Using the COPE intervention for family caregivers to improve symptoms of hospice homecare patients: a clinical trial, 34(2), 313--321. (5)

Eysenck, H. (1994). Cancer, personality and stress: prediction and prevention. Advances in Behaviour Research and Therapy, 16(3), 167--215. (6)

Versteeg, H., Spek, V., Pedersen, S., & Denollet, J. (2012). Type D personality and health status in cardiovascular disease populations: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 19(6), 1373--1380. (7)