Empathy and Its Predictive Factors in Undergraduate Health Professional Students: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

IF 2 Q1 NURSING

Nursing Reports Pub Date : 2025-08-28 DOI:10.3390/nursrep15090316

Valeria Caponnetto, Elona Gaxhja, Ilda Taka, Elona Prifti, Vittorio Masotta, Ilaria Paoli, Loreto Lancia, Angelo Dante, Cristina Petrucci

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Abstract

Background: Empathy is essential for enhancing care quality, making its understanding and predictors crucial for healthcare education. Objective: To investigate empathy evolution and its predictors among first-year health professional students at a university in Albania. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted on a total of 206 participants (78.2% female, mean age 18.4 years), with empathy assessed at baseline and program completion using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professional Students. Results: The findings revealed stable empathy levels overall (p = 0.369), with no significant differences between nursing and other students. Approximately 52.9% experienced empathy gains, while 44.7% experienced losses, yielding an average score change of +0.7 (SD = 14.9). A younger age and lower baseline empathy scores were significant predictors of empathy gains, as shown by regression analyses. Conclusions: The study highlights a dual empathy trajectory among students and emphasizes a person-centered approach to health professional education to foster empathy development.

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卫生专业本科学生共情及其预测因素：一项纵向队列研究。

背景：共情是提高护理质量的必要条件，使其理解和预测对医疗保健教育至关重要。目的：探讨阿尔巴尼亚一所大学卫生专业一年级学生共情进化及其预测因素。方法：对206名参与者（78.2%为女性，平均年龄18.4岁）进行纵向队列研究，在基线和项目完成时使用杰弗逊共情健康专业学生量表评估共情。结果：共情水平总体稳定（p = 0.369），护理学生与其他学生之间无显著差异。大约52.9%的人获得了同理心，而44.7%的人失去了同理心，平均得分变化为+0.7 （SD = 14.9）。回归分析显示，较年轻的年龄和较低的基线共情得分是共情获得的显著预测因子。结论：本研究强调了学生共情的双重轨迹，强调以人为本的卫生专业教育方法可以促进共情的发展。

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来源期刊

Nursing Reports NURSING-

CiteScore

2.50

自引率

4.20%

发文量

期刊介绍： Nursing Reports is an open access, peer-reviewed, online-only journal that aims to influence the art and science of nursing by making rigorously conducted research accessible and understood to the full spectrum of practicing nurses, academics, educators and interested members of the public. The journal represents an exhilarating opportunity to make a unique and significant contribution to nursing and the wider community by addressing topics, theories and issues that concern the whole field of Nursing Science, including research, practice, policy and education. The primary intent of the journal is to present scientifically sound and influential empirical and theoretical studies, critical reviews and open debates to the global community of nurses. Short reports, opinions and insight into the plight of nurses the world-over will provide a voice for those of all cultures, governments and perspectives. The emphasis of Nursing Reports will be on ensuring that the highest quality of evidence and contribution is made available to the greatest number of nurses. Nursing Reports aims to make original, evidence-based, peer-reviewed research available to the global community of nurses and to interested members of the public. In addition, reviews of the literature, open debates on professional issues and short reports from around the world are invited to contribute to our vibrant and dynamic journal. All published work will adhere to the most stringent ethical standards and journalistic principles of fairness, worth and credibility. Our journal publishes Editorials, Original Articles, Review articles, Critical Debates, Short Reports from Around the Globe and Letters to the Editor.