How does empathy affect the quality of care healthcare professionals provide?
Last week I was sitting at the nurse’s station during the least chaotic part of my work day; the residents were either sleeping or watching the news after finishing their lunch. With an hour left before shift change, I started to contemplate quitting my job. The facility has been experiencing staffing issues related to vacation requests, resignations, and medical leaves. I thought to myself, with all the respectable employees leaving, I should resign too, so I’m not left working with other employees whose job performances are less than adequate. As I began to think more, I started asking myself what qualities the employees exhibited that made them either a poor or decent staff member. After pondering this for a moment, I came to the conclusion that those no one could tolerate to work with shared the same characteristic. They lacked empathy. My underperforming coworkers never displayed an understanding and awareness for patients, families, and coworkers. Displaying empathy is a vital necessity to work in the healthcare field today.
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For example, if a patient’s daughter typically visits with her on Tuesdays but is unable to make one day, the patient may become confused and upset, causing them to be fixated on escaping the building. It’s at a time like this when a nurse aide must have the ability to step into their shoes (cognitive empathy), realize they’re confused, and redirect them to something else. Situations like this happen in nursing homes all the time, so it is important to have cognitive empathy to be able to correctly assess a
The need for advocacy is most often first noticed by the nurse through empathy. When nurses are able to empathize with their patients it begins the process of advocacy. When the nurse empathizes with their patient an altruistic attitude towards the patient grows, this improves caring and caring is essentially an innate form of professional ethics. The want to advocate by the nurse is greatly enhanced when the nurse truly cares about the patient; which is best developed through empathy. The want to advocate for the patient by the nurse is the biggest factor in positive advocacy outcomes (Reed, F., et. all, 2016). Professional caring combines caring and empathy with nursing knowledge and competency; together these factors enable the nurse to serve as a capable moral agent for their patient within the healthcare system. It is not possible to advocate for a patient properly without being first able to empathize and create a therapeutic nurse-client
But how does one achieve this mindset? Carper (1948) answers this as well; empathy. Nurses use empathy to act not as an audience but as a possible contributor. As said earlier, empathy allows for better perception skills. As a result, with good perception skills comes access to more specific information that forms what Copper (2001) calls ‘particular knowledge’ or subjective knowledge obtained by a nurse about an individual client (p. 6). It is knowledge nurse can have access to if they have enough respect for their
Studies have suggested that empathetic nursing may positively affect the quality of nursing care, contributing to more positive outcomes in regards to the health and well-being of patients, in various degrees of ill health. Hojat (2007); Mercer & Reynolds, 2002, Raudonis, 1993). In contrast, Slaby (2014) believes that empathy has a ‘blind spot’ of imposing only the personal perspectives and life experiences of that nurse onto the patient, this therefore may lead to assumptions which could prove demeaning and incorrect. Raudonis (1993) research contradicts Slabys viewpoint, and notes in his qualitative study of 14 terminally-ill patients (in a hospice environment), that empathetic care resulted in better pain management, higher morale, and improved quality of life as well as an impression of being better acknowledged, accepted and cared for. This disproves Slaby’s (2014) point of view as Slaby implied that empathy was presumptuously driven, individualistic and selfish, and so discounted empathy as being driven by genuine concern for the patient.
According to Arianna Huffington in the article “Empathy: What We Need Now”, during hardships and instability of society, empathy is needed to find solutions to those issues. Huffington writes about how empathy is needed in our country in order to produce a positive social change. She begins by giving an example of a movement that Martin Luther King created and how empathy was a part of this movement. King as well spoke of how empathy is the sign of living. To become involved in the situations of humanity in order to improve it, displays that empathy is the core of a human’s existence. After reading this article, I do agree with Huffington about how individuals need to fully understand and put themselves within the situation to fully comprehend the issue to solve.
What the research proved, was the enrichment of patients and an improved treatment outcomes. Empathy was the key to the success, thus a huge strength surrounding patient care (2011). However, I personally view empathy with many limitations. Epistemological Assumptions are one limitation when practitioners listen with third ears. For example, when a doctor doesn’t listen to the patient, rather, listens to the family or nurses. (2003) Practitioners will sometimes focus on feelings, not meanings. This in its self can be limiting, depending on the issue. If it’s a trauma, moving past the devastation is virtually impossible when focusing on the emotions it brings. Finding meaning in the experience, will allow the patient to heal. (2003). The expert knower, further undermines the patients story by creating superiority over the patient. All of these diminish the client and their experience, further breaking the bond of the client therapist
When using empathy with a client, the nurse is able to step into their shoes and understand what they are going through, essentially feeling what they feel (Barkin, 2011, as cited in Davies, 2014, p. 198). Ward et al., (2012) found that being able to communicate on the same platform as your client, meaning to place yourself in the same mindset as them is critically important to create a foundation of reliance (as cited in Davis, 2014, p. 198). Research by Davies (2014) found that embracing the empathic method not only requires you to venture into the mind of your client, but it also necessitates the ability to slide your own personal thoughts and emotions out of the way and dedicate all focus on the individual before you (p. 201). These thoughts expressed by each author, encircle what I already find to be most valuable in a nurse. Acquiring the skills to push your own feelings aside, with emphasis added on not being judgmental is very crucial to building a healthy relationship with your
According to the American Medical Association [AMA] Journal of Ethics, empathy is an emotional experience between an observer and a subject in which the observer, who is a physician in this case, based on the visual and auditory cues, identifies and transiently experiences the subject’s emotional state. Empathy can be seen in all forms and comes in myriad of ways too. For instance, a physician might encounter a patient who appears depressed, expresses a feeling of sadness and informs the physician that a close relative of him had recently passed away. This leads the physician to recall subconsciously his emotional state during a similar situation in which he has lost someone who was once close to him. This allows the physician to understand and connect with the patient in a more deeper state.
Providing clinical treatment, education, and empathy while involving the patient in their care achieves a win-win situation for all. I have adapted my practice to address the primary needs of each patient; education and treatment are modified to attain the best outcome for every client. Segueing from the bedside to clinical research has permitted me to concentrate on the distinct needs of each patient; while allowing me to contribute to the advancement of science and treatment modalities. As I work towards obtaining my advanced practice degree, I have focused on the evolving changes in health care (Mudd, 2014, p. 2).
The aim of this paper will be to demonstrate a further understanding following the meaning of empathy throughout nursing practice.
This is because, conversing empathetically can lead to better outcomes as it can have positive effects on client’s anxiety, pain, and hopelessness (Williams & Stickley, 2010). As well, it enables clients to cooperate more effectively towards treatments (Arnold & Boggs, 2015). Being empathetic promotes a humanistic interaction where the main objective is to make one feel understood and appreciated. By gathering data through the client’s words and actions, the nurse can use this information to carefully construct an appropriate response that will make a client feel that his or her feelings have been acknowledged (Monica, 1979). Furthermore, for a nurse to efficiently demonstrate empathy, nurses must be aware of their own biases and avoid bringing these personal views into the health care setting as these can negatively affect the client (Williams & Stickley,
According to the College of Nurse of Ontario (2006), empathy is one of the five key components of the nurse-client relationship and is one of the most powerful tools. You don’t need to know how your patient feels to be empathetic but letting them know that you are trying to understand is a good start. It can be used to describe a variety of experiences and had been defined by emotional researchers “as the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling” (University of California, Berkeley). Having the ability to empathize doesn’t mean you will or that you are willing to help someone in need but it is an important first step towards a compassionate
Sympathy; what dangerous feeling to us Social Workers, yet it comes naturally without any warning and we have to make sure we convert it to empathy before its too late. We have to make sure we do not only agree with some aspects of the clients feelings, beliefs, etc. that he/she believe in which translates into sympathy, but above all we should involve experience, understand and tune into her/his entire inner world to represent empathy. If we Social service workers use empathy, we will respond more expandable to the client.
Upon returning to work, Jack changes his outlook towards his job, his coworkers, patients and his interns. He teaches his students exactly what it will feel like to be the patient. He was able to take his experience and teach others the importance of communicating empathy in the healthcare field. He is now able to look past his patients’ illnesses and treat them as patients with feelings and respect. The lesson he takes with him is was how important life is when we use the right communication.
Compassion from a care giver needs to be felt towards patients to ensure that difference will be made. A positive attitude can be contagious towards other employees or the ones being cared for. When a nurse approaches a patient with an upbeat, but calm and confident vibe, the visitor excepts and trusts the work that must be done to them. One is put at ease when they are in the that type of environment. Altruism is the ability to be selfless and instead have a dedication to the welfare of others. () In the nursing profession, an employee shows care and empathy for clients, but must do the same towards themselves. A nurse must maintain calmness within herself when with a patient in order to fully provide security for their patient. It is important for the nurse to prevent becoming tired or stressed which may hinder them carrying out their duty effectively. In order to receive and hold humanistic-altruistic values, a nurse must extend forward continuous love, kindness and mental awareness at all times. Altruism is essential in unlocking a nurse 's compassion and empathy therefore creating a more positive and healing environment for the patient. () Not only must a nurse show the proper care towards ones clients with an appropriate attitude, but taking care of an employees own self needs and requirements are
Empathy also assists me to be helpful to my workmates. If I put their feelings at heart, I will manage to assist them when need be. They could have problems not only at the work place but also in their social life. This may be a hindrance to their productivity at work. In this case I can step in on their behalf. By being helpful to my patien...