2026· Journal of Nursing Research, Education and Management· 0 citations
TL;DR
The findings highlight that personal background, specifically family and upbringing, plays a more significant role in shaping a student’s empathetic capacity than modern environmental factors like technology.
Abstract
Objective: Empathy is a cornerstone of nursing care, yet its development is often influenced by factors outside the formal curriculum. The ability to understand and share a patient’s perspective is vital for building trust and improving care outcomes. This study aimed to explore the perception of undergraduate nursing students regarding non-academic factors influencing their development of empathy.
Materials and Methods: A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted. Convenience sampling was used to collect data from 200 undergraduate nursing students (across first, third, fifth, and eighth semesters) from four selected nursing colleges in Ernakulam. Data were collected using a socio-demographic data sheet and the Perceived Non-Academic Influences on Empathy Scale (PNAIES). The Cronbach’s score is 0.8 for the present tool.
Results: The majority of undergraduate nursing students (76%) reported that non-academic factors had a moderate influence, 12.5% of students reported strong influence, and 11.5% reported low influence on their empathy development. Family and upbringing factors were perceived to have the highest influence (50.4%), while technology and media exposure were perceived to have the least influence (24.8%).
Conclusion: The findings highlight that personal background, specifically family and upbringing, plays a more significant role in shaping a student’s empathetic capacity than modern environmental factors like technology. Peer dynamics and clinical exposure are also vital in fostering compassionate professional behavior. Nursing education should acknowledge these diverse personal backgrounds to better support students' professional development and therapeutic relationships.
Background: Empathy is a fundamental professional competency that enables healthcare professionals to understand patients' perspectives, emotions, and experiences, thereby enhancing patient-centred care. Higher levels of empathy have been associated with improved clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and psychological well-being. However, evidence on empathy among Nigerian nursing and medical students remains limited.
Aim: To assess and compare self-reported empathy among nursing and medical students at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, by programme, level of study, and gender.
Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 253 nursing and medical students who had commenced clinical placements. Participants were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy–Health Professional Students Version (JSE-HPS) and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20. Descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used, with statistical significance set at p < .05.
Findings: Most participants were medical students (77.5%), aged 22–24 years (48.4%), and female (53.9%). The overall mean empathy score was 106.9 (SD = 14.5). Self-reported empathy did not differ significantly by programme or gender but varied significantly by level of study, with students in higher academic levels reporting higher empathy scores.
Conclusion: Self-reported empathy was comparable between nursing and medical students and between male and female students. Although empathy differed by level of study, the cross-sectional design limits conclusions about changes over time.
Recommendation: Educational institutions should deliberately integrate empathy-enhancing strategies, including reflective practice, communication skills training, simulation-based learning, mentorship, and patient-centred clinical experiences, into nursing and medical curricula, with periodic assessment of students’ empathy to support its continued development throughout training.
Keywords: Empathy; Nursing students; Medical students; Healthcare professional students; Clinical education.
This study aimed to assess undergraduate nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes toward Primary Health Care in Jordan. This study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design, involving 157 nursing students from two private and two public universities in the central region of Jordan. It utilized an Arabic version of a self-administered online Primary Health Care Questionnaire. The findings indicated that the majority of students exhibited high knowledge (77%) and positive attitudes (97%); however, there was a significant difference between students’ knowledge, attitudes, and their socio-demographic factors. Moreover, the results revealed that demographic factors affect primary healthcare attitudes and knowledge, indicating that students’ perspectives concerning PHC can be influenced by demographic factors, including gender (B = 0.173), academic performance (B = 0.044), and intent to leave nursing in the future (B = 0.122) at a significance level (<0.05). Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that these demographic and academic factors significantly predicted the attitudes of undergraduate nursing students toward PHC in Jordan. Nursing students demonstrated high knowledge and positive attitudes toward primary healthcare services. Selected demographic characteristics were significantly associated with knowledge and attitudes, as supported by the statistical analysis. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening primary healthcare content and practical learning experiences within nursing education to support students’ preparedness for future community-based health promotion and disease-prevention roles.
Nafa Odeh, Rabia S. Allari· PLOS Global Public Health· 0 citations
Aim: The aim of the study was to quantitatively assess reflective capacity among nursing students and to examine the expression of its dimensions in the clinical learning environment.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study design was used. A purposive sample of 177 nursing students enrolled in the Nursing programme in Slovenia participated in the study. Data were collected between October and December 2025 using the Reflective Practice Questionnaire. The study used the 16-item reflective capacity subscale, which includes four dimensions: reflection-in-action, reflection-on-action, reflection with others, and self-appraisal. Data were collected through an anonymous online survey (1KA). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 29. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Due to non-normal data distribution, non-parametric tests were applied, including the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Friedman test, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient.Results: The results showed a relatively high level of reflective capacity among nursing students (Mdn = 4.56). Based on median values, the highest scores were observed in reflection with others and self-appraisal, while the lowest were found for reflection-in-action. Differences between reflective capacity dimensions were not statistically significant (χ²(3) = 2.399, p = 0.494). No significant differences were observed between full-time and part-time students or across years of study (p > 0.05). Age was not significantly associated with reflective capacity, except for a weak negative correlation with reflection with others (ρ = −0.193, p = 0.011). Students who perceived reflection as important for their professional development and those interested in additional practical training demonstrated significantly higher levels of reflective capacity (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The findings indicate that nursing students demonstrate a relatively high level of reflective capacity, particularly in collaborative reflective processes. Reflective practice appears to be an important component of clinical learning and professional development in nursing education.Implication for nursing practice: Structured reflective activities, mentoring conversations, and guided reflection in clinical environments may strengthen students’ clinical judgement, professional responsibility, and quality of patient care.
Iris Ruzzier, Sabina Ličen, Mitja Zdovc et al.· Global Nursing Insights· 0 citations
Comparing critical thinking abilities among students in the Diploma III, Bachelor of Nursing, and Professional Nursing programs at Institut Kesehatan Payung Negeri Pekanbaru suggests that the three programs had similar critical thinking profiles at the time of measurement.
Gita Adelia, Esperanza Zuriguel Pérez, Imelda Rahmayunia Kartika et al.· An Idea Health Journal· 0 citations
A substantial proportion of first-year nursing students experience moderate-to-high examination anxiety, and structured psychosocial support from parents and teachers, alongside institution-led self-study skill-building programmes, may help mitigate examination-related anxiety in this population.
Seethalakshmi S., V. G, J. D. et al.· Genetics and Molecular Resea...· 0 citations
