Empathy On Empathy

The importance of empathy in any helping profession, medical or social, cannot be overstated. The workers that exemplified it in their practice did the best that they could with their limited resources.

In this paper, I argue that watching Star Trek: The Next Generation cultivates empathy. Empathy is a

The key finding of this study was that, contrary to popular belief, undergraduate nursing students actually show decreasing levels of empathy as they moved through their nursing course. The purpose of the study was to examine if increased exposure to clinical experience among undergraduate nursing students would change their level of empathy. Results from the survey showed a decline in empathy among students with more patient and clinical exposure, and those with prior work experience. The authors concluded that decreased empathy among nursing students may be due to the curriculum being too focused on competency in technology and tasks, and the lack of exposure of nursing students to professional nursing role models that practice empathically. The study did not present a patient point of view on empathy changes among nursing students. If I was to apply this study to my own practice, I

Unfortunately, Anne did not receive any type of empathy during her hospital stay. Varacolis defines empathy as “a complex multidimensional concept that has moral, cognitive, emotional, and behavior components (Mercer & Reynolds, 2002)” (146). Empathy is an individual’s ability to understand the patient from their perspective. Empathy is imperative to “understand the patient's situation, perspective, and feelings … to act on that understanding with the patient in a helpful (therapeutic) way” (Mercer & Reynolds 2002). Anne’s perspective was not considered during her admission process or hospital stay.

In the healthcare field, empathy is an essential trait. Without empathy, patients can get depressed and lose sight of their end goal. The image above illustrates how a patient is treated with facial expression of the individuals and cropping of the image. “The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy," (Streep). Empathy is, in fact, so powerful that it has given strength to the weak and lack of empathy has weakened the strong. In a world full of blatant good versus evil and where terror and conflict are unceasing, one must remain empathetic.

In the first chapter of our book, Batson introduces the seeming complexity of empathy as he lays out eight different uses of the word empathy (Decety & Ickes, 2009). However, later in the book, Rogers expresses the simplicity of empathy in his observation of the healing power from just the intense presence of a therapist (Decety & Ickes, 2009). It seems easy to get lost in the terms and definitions of empathy. We read terms such as “grasp”, “sort through”, & “resonance” and can become overwhelmed about the

I think for someone to be successful in the healthcare field they must possess good communication skills and be able to have empathy towards their patients. You need to be able to communicate well with everyone around you to be able to help the patient. By connecting with the person you are trying to help they may open up about things that could help you treat them. Showing you care and being empathetic will also help the patient feel more comfortable with you. It is important to show empathy by talking calmly, leaning in while the patient is talking, and really showing that you care about them. I think you can look ‘fake’ when showing you are empathetic however. It is important to not take things too far or else your intentions may come across

Healthcare leaders are focusing on people by attracting, engaging developing and retaining the world’s best personnel in building a quality patient center care organization. In viewing “real people,’ it is not only important to understand what they go through as our patients it more important to empathize and recognize their concerns when encountering adverse situations and by setting precedence limit these experiences by instituting a commitment to creating an atmosphere of tranquility. However, how do we start to figure out all our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats Module 6 (2017), of course in the way of providing annual educational training for the staff in empathy, teaching on understanding the emotional needs of our patients as well as the physical, need.

Medical schools are putting a large amount of significance in teaching and measuring empathy. Empathy is defined in The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy as, “the psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another” (2017). For many years it was thought healthcare providers can be sympathetic, but not have any empathy due to the fear that “getting too close” to their patients can cloud their judgements. It is recognized as a truth that providers are unable to fully experience all the suffering their patients endure and must have some form of detachment, so today’s providers are learning to provide what is known as clinical empathy. The main difference between general empathy in modern society and clinical empathy is general empathy is based in emotion while clinical empathy has a cognitive basis (Markakis K., 1999). This importance of clinical empathy in today’s health care providers has been passed down to medical schools. The Association of American Medical Colleges stated that medical schools need to help create physicians who, “must be compassionate and empathetic in caring for patients” (AAMC 1998). In 2002, Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College created the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy

Herewith, I will explain my particular patient encounter that stemmed my topic of choice on empathy. I had been assigned to a 96 year old patient with a diagnosis of failure to cope. Prior to entering the patient’s room I had made a mental assessment through my personal research and verbal report that he was known to be a

Given the important link between empathy and caring, a number of studies and research have been carried out with physicians and nursing personnel to explore with both care-givers, and patients alike, how training for empathy can have a positive impact on the feeling of wellbeing for all concerned.

Empathy is the ability to identify and understand the client’s perspective, behaviour, emotions, motives and feelings. According to Yu and Kirk, (2008, p. 441), “Empathy is used as a ‘tool’ which heath researchers are showing a concern in measuring the therapeutic relationship between nurse and patient. An empathic relationship inspires the sharing of intimate feelings and options”. It also helps the nurse to know about their patients and get close to them. Relation between nurse and client means getting all the history about medical background, knowledge of interpersonal, background knowledge, caring and development theory, knowledge of culture and diversity influences and determinants of health of the client. Nursing Times (2010, p.240), supports the value of empathy for the nurse-patient relationship is supposed to allow understanding not only of other individuals’ beliefs, norms, values and ideas but also the significance that their situation has for them and their associated feelings. Nurses should have the competencies to establish and develop a therapeutic relationship, set appropriate boundaries and limits of the relationship with their clients. Mary young, also

The news is on in the background while I'm eating dinner with my family. The conversation eventually lulls, and I begin to hear every word the journalist on the television utters. She's reporting on a far-off tragedy that I view as not particularly applicable to my life. I feel some kind of instinctual empathy for the party that is facing such adversity described on the news. I wonder what it's like to lose everything.

I do not ask the wounded person how he feels; I myself become the wounded person.” This quote by Walt Whitman truly demonstrates the appropriate behavior when treating patients. It is vital, that as a nurse, one must strive to be empathetic to provide top patient care. To be empathetic is to not pity the patient, but to feel and value what that person is feeling. This is a great level of human compassion that assists in therapeutic care. By exhibiting empathy in the nursing practice, one can improve the quality of care for the patient as well as increasing the quality of the nursing profession.

Empathy is used to describe a wide range of experiences. It is the “capacity” to share and understand other people’s emotions and another’s “state of mind”. Empathy is being able to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling while maintaining a state of vulnerability to one’s previous experiences, biases, and emotions. Empathy is a very powerful concept that is often misunderstood or discounted for its importance, especially for health care professionals. The use of empathy, vulnerability, and compassion are traits that can be learned, and it determines someone’s emotional intelligence. This paper will discuss the major concepts, history, and definitions of emotional intelligence. Furthermore, it will delve into the application in nursing practice, my own personal practice, as well as how it has led to my personal growth. Utilizing the leadership role of emotional intelligence allows nurses and other professionals to become vulnerable in their practice in order to build strong connections, relationships, and most importantly, to become more connected with themselves. This leadership role will set us up for success in order to create an environment for optimal functioning, and to achieve the desired therapeutic results for our patients.