Factors Influencing Patient-Centeredness among Korean Nursing Students: Empathy and Communication Self-Efficacy.

Jaehee Jeon,Seunghye Choi

doi:10.3390/healthcare9060727

Jaehee Jeon, Seunghye Choi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9060727

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Abstract

In recent years, there is a growing tendency in the extent to which patients wish to be actively involved in processes related to their healthcare and relevant decision-making. This was a cross sectional study. We examined undergraduate nursing students’ patient-centeredness and investigated its associated factors including empathy and communication self-efficacy using a structured questionnaire. A total of 201 undergraduate nursing students who provided written consent to participate in the study completed measures on patient-centeredness (sharing and caring), empathy (fantasy, perspective taking, personal distress, and empathic concern), and communication self-efficacy. The factors affecting patient-centeredness were analyzed using multiple regression. Communication self-efficacy affected patient-centered sharing, while age, empathy (fantasy, personal distress, empathic concern), and communication self-efficacy affected patient-centered caring. Empathy and communication self-efficacy positively affected patient-centeredness. Therefore, strategies that promote empathy and communication self-efficacy are needed to increase patient-centered care competency.

Highlights

In recent years, there is a growing tendency in the extent to which patients wish to be actively involved in processes related to their healthcare and relevant decision-making [1]
This study aimed to investigate patient-centeredness in undergraduate nursing students and identify the influence of empathy and communication self-efficacy
In a previous study comparing undergraduate nursing students and nurses, the caring subscale score was similar in the two groups, but the sharing subscale score was higher in the undergraduate nursing students than in nurses (4.43 vs. 4.25)

Summary

Introduction

There is a growing tendency in the extent to which patients wish to be actively involved in processes related to their healthcare and relevant decision-making [1]. Ontological assumptions of patient-centered care are diverse [4]. Patient-centered care consists of patient perceptions of the degree to which key communication outcomes (e.g., information exchange, managing uncertainty, etc.) were achieved [5]. Patient-centered care consists of patient perceptions of the quality of clinician communication with respect to information-giving, decision-making, building relationships, managing uncertainty, and responding to emotions, according to another study [6]. There are various assumptions about patient-centered care, most previous studies treat communication as a major component of it

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