Empathy, An Essential Concept For Nursing Practice

The care that I will give my patient will also involve being empathic. This will enhance the development of the therapeutic relationship that will finally improve the outcomes. Compassion and empathy will make my patients more forthcoming with their symptoms. This yields accurate diagnosis. It also improves care given to patients. The interaction that takes place during this process affects the patient's recovery process. I also intend to cultivate a culture of trust between me and my patients. It has to be there for me to realize effective therapeutic relationship that leads to job satisfaction.

The importance of empathy in any helping profession, medical or social, cannot be overstated. The workers that exemplified it in their practice did the best that they could with their limited resources.

Hannah, B.B. & Virginia, T. (2012). The use of empathy in human services: Strategies for diverse professional roles. Journal of Human Services, 32 (1): 72-84

The nursing practice should be able to provide compassionate care for the patients, families and communities. By providing patient-centered care nurses not only accomplish tasks but provide the care that the patient is expecting to receive. It is important for nurses to perceive what the patients are experiencing and to be able to see through the patient’s eyes to be able to improve the health care provided and assist the patients in a better way. A nurse does not have to be exceptional to be able to demonstrate engagement and compassion, it should be part of the profession to ensure that knowledge, skills and attitudes are developed and delivered to the

A good bedside manner consists, in part, of a doctor having the ability to appropriately empathize with their patients; however, there must also be a balance between physician objectivity and the abilityt to empathize with patients . Empathy can be defined as the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes and trying to imagine what they are going through from their perspective . Empathy is important because ‘How well physicians can put themselves in their patients’ shoes is directly linked with patient satisfaction”(Faherty 1). Doctors are often focused purely on the medical needs of their patients. If a doctor cannot establish a reasonably empathic relationship with the patient from the start, the patient will ultimately pay the

Theresa Wiseman, a nursing scholar in 1996, studied professions where the relevancy of empathy was crucial and developed the following four qualities of empathy:

A nursing career and caring for the sick intertwine inseparably. It requires a tremendous amount of compassion and empathy to care for those who are in need. My philosophy of care is to treat others with dignity, respect and compassion regardless of their race, ethnicity or cultural background. It’s about treating people the way you want to be treated and to understand that sometimes the best medicine of all is kindness. In addition, not only is it important to provide effective and competent care to all patients, it’s extremely crucial to provide care that is genuine and compassionate. All health care consumers should be receiving care that reflects their values and beliefs.

Conflicting messages will inevitably hinder our communication and our ability to help those we serve. The Skill of Empathy Another important skill in the field of human services would be empathy. In the last two years, I have learned the difference between sympathy and empathy. Sympathy actually separates and isolates individuals, while empathy empowers them.

I do not ask the wounded person how he feels; I myself become the wounded person.” This quote by Walt Whitman truly demonstrates the appropriate behavior when treating patients. It is vital, that as a nurse, one must strive to be empathetic to provide top patient care. To be empathetic is to not pity the patient, but to feel and value what that person is feeling. This is a great level of human compassion that assists in therapeutic care. By exhibiting empathy in the nursing practice, one can improve the quality of care for the patient as well as increasing the quality of the nursing profession.

When assessing clients a specific skill that I identify with is empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and share feelings of others. To effectively display empathy requires certain characteristics. Some of the characteristics of empathy that I employ are; having the innate ability to put myself in the other people’s shoes. This allows for a better understand toward the experiences the family has gone through. For empathy to be displayed accurately, effective communication is essential. Effective communication is asking the right questions and providing reflective listening so the family knows the professional truly understands their circumstances. Effective communication allows for an accurate assessment of the family. Effective communication is a vitally important component of empathy. Empathy can be displayed though effective communication, such as, effectively

Empathy can be defined as “the ability to understand and share feelings of another” (English Oxford Living Dictionaries, 2018). Additionally, a more complex way of looking at empathy is to see it as a process by which one assumes the emotional state of another person and through understanding, experience a similar state in themselves, but at the same time being aware of the distinction between themselves and the other person (Singer, Critchley, & Preuschoff, 2009, as citied in, Coutinho, Silvia, & Decety, 2014). In other words, the counsellor must walk side by side with the client in order to understand completely and be empathetic towards them and the issues they may

If healthcare professionals possess the instance of empathy, which sympathy is absent, this implicates that they

Not all patients are capable of independently identifying and articulate their care needs, so the nurse also adapts the role as an advocate. Clarity and continuity in a trusting environment enables good communication. Progressive identification of needs takes place as nurse and patient communicate with one another in the interpersonal relationship (Peplau 1988, p. 84). Being considerate to the needs and vulnerability of patients is a moral attribute, as nurses are accountable for the care they deliver.

Application: Applying sympathy within the nursing practice is important to enhance the nurses empathetic and compassionate characteristics to assist in the formation of successful patient-centered care along with the patient-nurse relationship. The ablility to appreciate our patients as human beings with feelings and authority produces positive relationships. Listening to our patients concerns and thoughts, placing ourselves in their positions, and understanding their emotions

It is suggested that the staff to be more empathetic while handling patients. Because empathy is very important in health care services for delivering the high satisfaction of treatment to the patients.