Relationships among active listening, self-awareness, empathy, and patient-centered care in associate and baccalaureate degree nursing students

Objective

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships among active listening, self-awareness, empathy, and patient-centered care in nursing students.

Background

Empathy and patient-centered care have been associated with better patient outcomes. Active listening and self-awareness are suggested to be associated with empathy, and, in turn, patient-centered care. However, the relationships among active listening, self-awareness, empathy, and patient-centered care have not been investigated.

Method

Data on active listening, self-awareness, empathy, and patient-centered care were collected from 53 nursing students, and were analyzed using multiple regression.

Results

Active listening (p < .001) and self-awareness (p < .001) were significantly associated with empathy. Empathy was significantly associated with patient-centered care (p = .003). Empathy was a partial mediator of the relationship between active listening and PCC and a full mediator of the relationship between self-awareness and patient-centered care.

Conclusion

Improvement in active listening and self-awareness may lead to improvement in empathy, and, in turn, improvement in patient-centered care.