Empathic Behavior in Nursing Students

Authors

  • Rosa Nury Zambrano Bermeo Universidad Santiago de Cali, Colombia
  • Diana Fernanda Loaiza Buitrago Universidad Santiago de Cali, Colombia
  • José Gamarra-Moncayo Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Perú
  • Fernando Reyes Reyes Universidad del Desarrollo, Concepción. Chile
  • Alejandro Reyes Reyes Universidad Santo Tomás, Concepción. Chile
  • Víctor Patricio Diaz Narváez Universidad Andres Bello, Chile

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.42.01.141.457

Keywords:

empathy, students, nursing, training, psychometric

Abstract

Objective: Empathy is the intersubjective connection between nursing staff and the patient that enhances humanized patient care. Consequently, it is an important attribute that should be the subject of permanent attention in the training process of nursing students. The evaluation allows to observe and identify empathic strengths and weaknesses that subsequently allow for the adoption of a serious and responsible intervention strategy. The objective of this study is to evaluate empathic behavior based on its empathic dimensions and general empathic behavior.

Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional and correlational study. The population was composed of all students of the 2023 academic year. The sample (n) consisted of 618 students (59% of the total population) (N = 1043). We used the Jefferson Empathy Scale for Health Professionals. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed using the Robust Maximum Likelihood estimator. Reliability was estimated using the omega coefficient.

Results: The three-dimensional underlying measurement model for empathy is fulfilled. Internal consistency was adequate. It was observed that the dimensions of Perspective adoption had a high score, while Compassionate care and “Walking in the patient’s shoes” obtained medium values.

Conclusion: The empathy of the nursing students in the study is characterized by a strong ability to cognitively interpret the emotional states of the patients. However, at the same time, they are characterized by an uncritical deficit of emotionality, that is, a diminished ability to perceive the patient’s suffering as their own and a diminished ability to penetrate the patient’s thoughts.

Author Biographies

  • Rosa Nury Zambrano Bermeo, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Colombia

    Department of Health, Universidad Santiago de Cali (Colombia). rosa.zambrano00@usc.edu.co. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6488-2231

  • Diana Fernanda Loaiza Buitrago, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Colombia

    Department of Health, Universidad Santiago de Cali (Colombia).  diana.loaiza04@usc.edu.co. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0260-4193

  • José Gamarra-Moncayo, Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Perú

    Department of Health Sciences, School of Psychology, Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Chiclayo (Perú). gamarramoncayoj@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0781-3616

  • Fernando Reyes Reyes, Universidad del Desarrollo, Concepción. Chile

    Instituto de Bienestar Socioemocional (IBEM). School of Psychology, Universidad del Desarrollo, Concepción (Chile). freyes@udd.cl. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7902-0017

  • Alejandro Reyes Reyes, Universidad Santo Tomás, Concepción. Chile

    School of Psychology, Department of Social Sciences and Communications, Universidad Santo Tomás, Concepción (Chile). areyesr@santotomas.cl. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2404-0467

  • Víctor Patricio Diaz Narváez, Universidad Andres Bello, Chile

    Research Department, School of Dentistry, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago (Chile). vicpadina@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5486-0415

Downloads

Published

2026-01-28

Issue

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

How to Cite

Empathic Behavior in Nursing Students. (2026). SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL SALUD UNINORTE, 42(1), 21-35. https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.42.01.141.457

Similar Articles

1-10 of 488

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>