The effects of Nurses’ Empathy Skills on Attitudes towards Patients with Cancer

Year 2017, , 70 - 74, 30.06.2017

Ali Alkan

https://doi.org/10.5799/jcei.333383

Cited By: 3

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the predictors of empathy skills and attitude
towards cancer patients and association between nurses’ empathy skills on attitudes towards
patients with cancer
Patients and Methods: A structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the nurses’ empathy
skills and their attitudes towards to patients with cancer. Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) and
Attitudes towards Cancer Scale (ATCS) were used. The predictors of JSE/ATCS scores and
correlation between JSE and ATCS were analyzed.
Results: 305 nurses participated in the study (84.2% of all nurses). The median age was 33 (20-
52) and most of the nurses were female (82.6%). Most of the participants were married (188,
61.6%) and 40.3% of nurses had a job experience more than 10 years. Female sex, being
married, having job experience more than 10 years or caring more cancer patients were
associated with higher JSE scores. Nurses caring more cancer patients weekly, experience with
cancer patients, participation in educational activities about cancer care or presence of relative
with a diagnosis of cancer were found to have more positive attitudes towards cancer patients.
Spearman correlation analysis showed a positive, weak correlation between JSE and ATCS (r=
0.017, P= 0.38)
Conclusion: Empathy skills are important while caring patients, especially in oncology practice.
Although a direct correlation between empathy skills and attitudes towards cancer patients
couldn’t be demonstrated, health care workers caring cancer patients should be both evaluated
for empathy skills and educated.

Keywords

Empathy skill, attitudes towards patients with cancer, nurse, oncology

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