A Qualitative Study On The Empathic Experience Of Elderly Patients By Undergraduate Nursing Interns

Objective: The study aims to understand the true feelings of undergraduate nursing interns on the empathy experience of elderly patients through semi-structured in-depth interviews with the interviewees,and to explore the related factors affecting the empathy of undergraduate nursing interns.To provide the basis for the cultivation of empathy of the elderly patients by undergraduate nursing students.Methods: Using the descriptive qualitative research,this study selected a number of nursing undergraduate interns who had empathic experience of elderly patients for face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interview.Before the interview,the interview outline was prepared,the informed consent of the subjects was obtained,the interview time and place were agreed,and the interview tools were prepared.In the interview,according to the prepared interview outline,the research subjects should be guided to speak out their experience and inner feelings of effective communication,and the information conveyed by nonverbal behaviors should be observed and recorded in the interview record sheet.At the end of the interview,conventional content analysis method was used to analyze the data with the help of Nvivo11.0 within 24 to 48 hours.The interview data reached saturation and the selection of interviewees ended.Results:(1)A total of 14 undergraduate nursing interns of different genders and schools were included in this study.Among them,there were 2 males and 12 females.The age ranged from 20 to 22 years old,with an average age of 21 years old.The family area is equally divided between urban and rural areas,all is not the only child,the non-class cadre is in the majority;The internship lasts for 6 to 8 months.(2)Four themes and 18 sub-themes were extracted in this study.Cognitive empathy respectively in the clinical use of the positive role of(to establish good communication mode,to develop harmonious relationship between nurses and patients,reduce the job burnout feeling,cause students' introspection,is conducive to work),the influence factors of perceived use empathy(work reasons,cognitive degree of empathy and patients' reasons,interns itself characteristics),perceived characteristics of elderly hospitalized patients(decreased body function,prone to negative emotions,difficulty in accepting new things,need more care),put forward the opinion of the empathy teaching(learning time,the instructor,course content,teaching methods,examination form).Conclusion:(1)Empathy experience plays a positive role in clinical practice,which is worthy of teaching and promotion.(2)Work behavior impulse,stubborn,medical purpose is not pure,give up treatment,poor attitude,the language barrier,not willing to exchange of elderly patients,it is not easy to undergraduate interns with empathy,but nice personality,good attitude,trust staff,high culture and family care of older patients,undergraduate interns are easy to generate empathy.(3)Undergraduate interns are too introverted and withdrawn,unwilling to communicate with others,and do not have a strong sense of professional identity for clinical nursing,so they are not easy to use empathy.(3)On the contrary,undergraduate interns are more likely to develop empathy if they are outgoing,kind-hearted,love nursing and have similar experiences or common cultural background with elderly patients.(4)Excessive workload and language barrier are not conducive to the empathy between undergraduate interns and patients.(5)Undergraduate interns are eager to acquire more empathy knowledge and practical skills,and hope to set how to generate correct empathy thinking with different elderly patients under special circumstances as the key content of the course.Schedule of courses: recommend empathy courses in sophomore year and middle period of internship.The teaching method and examination form,the suggestion empathy teaching form diversification,the examination diversification.