Jean Baynes
Instructor M. Goodsitt
Writing 101
09 May 2012
RE: 2 Final Revision
Have you ever been sick and had to go to the hospital? Imagine a nurse who doesn’t say a word, just walks in and out of your room, and goes about their work like you don’t even exist. How would you feel? Maybe you may even question how empathic is the nursing profession? I’m sure you will get very different answers depending on who you ask. Some may say it’s very empathic, while others may say not at all. I was able interview Joy and Kris who had two different views on empathy. Joy is a newly trained nurse who feels you either have empathy or you don’t. On the other hand, Kris, an experienced nurse, believes empathy can be learned. I’m hoping to demonstrate the differences and how they may affect nurses and patients in the healthcare field. Empathy is a very touchy subject, but can make the medical field a much better place.
What is empathy? The definition of empathy is the capacity to recognize and to some extent share feeling-such as sadness or happiness- that are being experienced by another. As a patient, I would hope to find the empathic nurse that makes them feel like it’s okay to be sick and it’s their responsibility to take care of me. No matter how I treat them, I want to feel they understand my needs. During my interview with my sister Joy, a newly trained nurse, I asked her what she thought of when she heard the word empathy. She stated that “being empathic is different than feeling sorry for someone, it’s trying to put yourself in their shoes and being able to understand them.” (Baynes, personal communication, March 25, 2012). Empathy and Sympathy are often confused and mean something entirely different. As I explained above Empathy is the ability to place yourself in someone else’s shoes and sharing another’s suffering. Sympathy on the other hand, is a feeling of recognition of another’s suffering. “Empathy can help them move beyond feelings of negativity and hopelessness about a situation so that they can start to focus on moving through the situation.”(Sweeney.Par.1) “We have empathy, but we can’t have sympathy, one tells me. “We’d fall apart.” (Drury . Pg. 4) Patients rely on nurses so much to want their needs met that nurses feel obligated to help even if they really don’t want to. During a recent survey, nearly 6 out of 10 nurses stated they felt less empathy for patients who frequent the emergency rooms instead of getting their immediate care at the regular doctor’s office. (Mozes Par. 6).
First of all, is empathy a very important part of a nurses everyday interaction with patients? Showing empathy may be difficult for some, but can also be very easy for others. According to Bench Prep Nursing and Empathy which discusses the topic of empathy. “How you speak to these patients can be the difference between a scary illness and all-around devastation. I can’t count how many times I have heard a patient comment on how the nurse “made all the difference.” (C. par.5) Sweeney’s blog “the importance of empathy” further reiterates this point by stating:“It is very important for a nurse to display empathy toward his or her patients. Nurses spend a significant amount of time directly interacting with their patients and, for some, it is the only human contact a person receives during their stay at a hospital. Therefore, feeling understood and having their situation validated by a nurse handling their case is crucial.” (Sweeney.par.2)
Can you be taught to be empathic? According to Kris, an experienced nurse,he felt that being empathic can be a learned quality, which may come quickly for others, but some individuals may still struggle. Since empathy is a learned quality you can teach it, but it's going to be very difficult to set up a learning experience for someone. With a hands on experience empathy would be easier to understand." (Van Metter, personal communication, March 25, 2012). On the opposite end of the spectrum, Nikki C’s blog states that she has found out that the ability to impart this knowledge comes from within. It is not a learned skill to be able to empathize with your patients. I truly believe that you either have it or you don’t. Patients can tell when you are faking that compassion, believe me.
My brother-in-law Kris, who feels like empathy is a learned quality thinks individuals should be given the opportunity to learn this quality if not already possessed. I think it is very important that the patient and nurse establish a rapport at the beginning of treatment in order for your patient to become comfortable with you as their nurse and you to gain your patient’s trust. Being able to learn empathy is an amazing asset to anyone in the medical field. I feel more training associated with empathy would be very helpful to anyone in a position where this quality is necessary, According to Sweeney on the other hand, “Empathy is also non-observed. A patient cannot tell when a nurse is being empathic, but they know when they are not, patients who feel at ease with a nurse can allow for certain medical aspects to be understood. Since empathy is a characteristic of nursing it cannot be taught, those who enter this field have a caring nature and nurture complex already in place.” (Sweeney. par. 8)
As a patient, would you want to have a nurse who treats you with respect or would you prefer a nurse who doesn't care about you or treatment? Personally, I would choose a nurse that understands my wants and needs and is willing to do whatever possible to make me feel comfortable. It’s important to think about the way you would want to be treated and treat them the same way. “Nurses can’t take the place of a patient but they can help the patient feel wanted. Many people who have to stay in the hospital are scared and feel out of touch with their lives. A nurse should make them feel comfortable and help them through anything they are feeling.” (Sweeney. par. 6)
Being empathic is in the nursing field is very important! Many individuals may still think that empathy is not necessary, but according to patients who need help they would prefer someone who shows compassion and empathy. I feel that knowing how important empathy is in association with nursing will give me a better understanding of how I will treat my patients in order to give them the best experience possible. I hope in the future that we will be required to continue education with clinical as well as emotional intelligence. According to a journal titled “Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: What is it really about, explains that emotional intelligence is a concept of including perception, expression, and control of emotions, self-control and empathy, communication, conflict resolution process, conscience, and perhaps many more”. (Ioannidou, Konstantikaki v1 2008). According to an article titled ‘Nursing with no Empathy”, “Nursing students are so focused on the science of nursing that they might neglect the art, which includes the empathetic communication that is the heart of the nurse-patient relationship.” (Ward, Cody, Schaal, Hojat, 2012). Certain strategies showed to be included in nursing training, like role-play, having preceptors as role models, and more to highlight to importance of empathy.
Works Cited Page
At the Nursing Station. “Nursing With No Empathy”. Web 08 April 2012
Baynes, Joy E., Registered Nurse. Personal Interview. 25 March 2012.
C. Nikki. “BenchPrep Nursing and Empathy” Web 3 April, 2012.
Diffen- “Empathy vs Sympathy” Web 9 May 2012
Drury, Bob. Men’s Health “Doctors at War” Web 7 May 2012
Ioannidou, F. International Journal of Caring Sciences. Sept -Dec 2008 Vol 1 Issue 3
Konstantikaki, V. International Journal of Caring Sciences. Sept.-Dec 2008 Vol 1 Issue 3
Mozes, A. Health Day. “Er Docs Frustrated by Repeat Patients” Web 7 May 2012
Sweeney, Jamie. “The Importance of Empathy” Web 20 March, 2012.
Van Metter, Kris., Registered Nurse. Personal Interview. 25 March 2012.
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