Empathy in Nursing: A Conceptual Analysis Research Paper

Definition

Empathy is a powerful attribute capable of dictating how people share their ideas, desires, and experiences. Tan et al. (2020) define it as the awareness of other people’s thoughts, emotions, and even feelings. The involved individual will be able to share and monitor the targeted patient’s mental status. The response is essential since it empowers the individual and ensures that a sense of belonging emerges (Wu, 2021). In nursing, practitioners embracing the concept will imagine how their colleagues and patients could be feeling and respond accordingly.

Literature Review

Past scholars have completed numerous studies focusing on the power and effectiveness of empathy in the healthcare practice. The first article, “Empathy in Nurse-Patient Interaction: A Conversation Analysis”, describes how empathy has the potential to support both nurses and patients. According to Wu (2021), the relationships emerging between nurses and beneficiaries in medical settings could present additional views regarding the expression of empathy. In the second article, “The Role of Empathy in Health and Social Care Professionals”, Moudatsou et al. (2020) observed that empathy was useful since it dictated how many people share their desires or experiences. They relied on the attribute to promote and maintain prosocial behaviors.

The third article, “Defining Clinical Empathy: A Grounded Theory Approach from the Perspective of Healthcare Workers and Patients in a Multicultural Setting”, supports the promotion of empathic behaviors as a positive practice. For instance, Tan et al. (2020) observe that medical practitioners who take the issue of empathy seriously will be able to provide personalized services to their patients. When the level of such an attribute reduces, most of the patients will be incapable of benefiting from sustainable and effective services.

The fourth article, “Empathy in Nursing: A Phenomenological Intervention”, presents the theme of empathy and its relevance in the field of healthcare. The consideration of the attribute within the realm of theory development remains a common practice in scientific inquiry. In their work, Fernandez and Zahavi (2021) observed that continuous analyses of ideas and presentation of new evidence were essential to transform care delivery. Through the consideration of the four meta-paradigms of nursing, professionals can examine how they interact and deliver meaning to the targeted users. Empathy emerges as a unique attribute that has the potential to support caring.

Defining Attributes

The Transactional Self Care and Empathy Nursing Theory uses empathy as one of the founding concepts intended to make it practical and applicable in clinical settings. Several attributes are evident that define the concept and make it useful in the framework. The first one is that of perspective taking and it revolves around a person’s ability to appreciate a specific situation and how it affects the other individual emotionally and cognitively (Wu, 2021). The second attribute is the recognition of the other person’s emotions. Such an approach makes it possible for the professional to appreciate the complexity of the situation and react accordingly (Heidke et al., 2018). The third one is the ability to communicate the exact feeling and understanding of the targeted person’s feelings and emotions.

Antecedents and Consequences

The term “antecedent” usually focuses on the issues, events, or concerns existing before the occurrence of a challenging issue or behavior. One outstanding antecedent for an empathic situation is the realization or perception of another person who requires timely support. In the clinical setting, such a precursor is common whereby the involved professionals should be keen to monitor patients’ conditions (Fernandez & Zahavi, 2021). They will then consider the best ways to identify and respond to the identified empathic concern. Without such an antecedent, it would be impossible to apply the notion and eventually transform the experience of the targeted individual.

After realizing that a specific patient needs empathic support and acting accordingly, one possible consequence would be that of improved satisfaction. Heidke et al. (2018) indicate that the presence of such a concept creates room for relief, thereby improving the patient’s trust level. The beneficiary will remain involved and willing to share more with the caregiver. The possible outcome is that the level of patient satisfaction, characterized by better-coping approaches, will increase. The patient will eventually benefit from the available care delivery procedures in the specific facility.

Empirical Referents