Background and aim: Empathy is an essential element of good nursing care associated with increased patient satisfaction. Burnout represents chronic occupational stress which diminishes interest in work and reduces patient safety and satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between empathy and burnout in nursing students and nurses. Method: This cross-sectional research was conducted in a sample of 298 nurses and 115 nursing students. Socio-demographic and career information was collected. Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were administered. Data were statistically analysed. Results: 63% of our sample answered questionnaires (54% of nurses and 84% of students). The BEES global mean score was slightly inferior to empathy cut-off of 32. In the student group, two BEES dimension scores were statistically significantly higher than nurses (p=0.011 and p=0.007 respectively, t-test). Empathy was negatively related to age (p=0.001, ANOVA). Emotional exhaustion (EE) scores of MBI reported statistically significantly lower levels for students (p<0.0001, t-test). EE was negatively related to BEES mean total score in students (r=-0.307, p<0.002) and nurses (r=-0.245, p<0.002), personal accomplishment of MBI presented positive correlation with BEES mean total scores in students (r=0.319, p<0.002) and nurses (r=0.266, p<0.001, Pearson’s correlation). Female students showed superior empathy capacity in comparison to male students in all 5 dimensions of BEES (p<0.001), whereas females nurses in only one dimension (p<0.001). Conclusions: Our data suggest empathy declines with age and career. High levels of empathy can be protective against burnout development, which, when presents, reduces empathy.

Empathy and burnout: an analytic cross-sectional study among nurses and nursing students / Ferri, Paola; Guerra, Eleonora; Marcheselli, Luigi; Cunico, Laura; Di Lorenzo, Rosaria. - In: ACTA BIO-MEDICA DE L'ATENEO PARMENSE. - ISSN 0392-4203. - ELETTRONICO. - 86:Supplemento 2(2015), pp. 104-115.

Empathy and burnout: an analytic cross-sectional study among nurses and nursing students

FERRI, Paola;MARCHESELLI, Luigi;CUNICO, LAURA;
2015

Abstract

Background and aim: Empathy is an essential element of good nursing care associated with increased patient satisfaction. Burnout represents chronic occupational stress which diminishes interest in work and reduces patient safety and satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between empathy and burnout in nursing students and nurses. Method: This cross-sectional research was conducted in a sample of 298 nurses and 115 nursing students. Socio-demographic and career information was collected. Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were administered. Data were statistically analysed. Results: 63% of our sample answered questionnaires (54% of nurses and 84% of students). The BEES global mean score was slightly inferior to empathy cut-off of 32. In the student group, two BEES dimension scores were statistically significantly higher than nurses (p=0.011 and p=0.007 respectively, t-test). Empathy was negatively related to age (p=0.001, ANOVA). Emotional exhaustion (EE) scores of MBI reported statistically significantly lower levels for students (p<0.0001, t-test). EE was negatively related to BEES mean total score in students (r=-0.307, p<0.002) and nurses (r=-0.245, p<0.002), personal accomplishment of MBI presented positive correlation with BEES mean total scores in students (r=0.319, p<0.002) and nurses (r=0.266, p<0.001, Pearson’s correlation). Female students showed superior empathy capacity in comparison to male students in all 5 dimensions of BEES (p<0.001), whereas females nurses in only one dimension (p<0.001). Conclusions: Our data suggest empathy declines with age and career. High levels of empathy can be protective against burnout development, which, when presents, reduces empathy.
2015
86
Supplemento 2
104
115
Empathy and burnout: an analytic cross-sectional study among nurses and nursing students / Ferri, Paola; Guerra, Eleonora; Marcheselli, Luigi; Cunico, Laura; Di Lorenzo, Rosaria. - In: ACTA BIO-MEDICA DE L'ATENEO PARMENSE. - ISSN 0392-4203. - ELETTRONICO. - 86:Supplemento 2(2015), pp. 104-115.
Ferri, Paola; Guerra, Eleonora; Marcheselli, Luigi; Cunico, Laura; Di Lorenzo, Rosaria
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Empathy and burnout an analytic cross-sectional study among nurses and nursing students.pdf

Open access

Descrizione: Articolo principale
Tipologia: Versione pubblicata dall'editore
Dimensione 1.06 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.06 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

Licenza Creative Commons
I metadati presenti in IRIS UNIMORE sono rilasciati con licenza Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal, mentre i file delle pubblicazioni sono rilasciati con licenza Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale (CC BY 4.0), salvo diversa indicazione.
In caso di violazione di copyright, contattare Supporto Iris

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11380/1075631
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 35
  • Scopus 80
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact