The Relationship Between the Perception of Professional Values and Empathy in Nursing Students

Abstract
Background: Empathy is an essential interpersonal skill in providing care. Therefore, it is important to identify factors related to empathy in nursing students. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between the perception of professional values and empathy in nursing students. Methods: A descriptive-correlational design was employed, involving 200 nursing students from the Islamic Azad University's Medical Sciences Faculty in Karaj, Iran. Data were collected between 24 April and 10 June 2023, using convenience sampling. Participants completed a demographic form, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students (JES-HPS), and the Nurse Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) through self-report. Data were analyzed using an independent sample t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient with the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 software. Results: The mean scores for empathy and the perception of professional values were 69.26 ± 7.74 and 108.74 ± 14.56, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between total empathy scores and nursing students' perceptions of professional values (r = 0.232, P = 0.001). Conclusions: This study found a positive association between nursing students' perceptions of professional values and their empathy levels. Enhancing professional values in the hidden curriculum and incorporating strategies into both theoretical and practical training may help cultivate higher levels of empathy among nursing students. This insight is valuable for educational policymakers and curriculum planners aiming to promote empathetic care in future nursing professionals.
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