Julia Ward

Reliability and Validity of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy in Undergraduate Nursing Students

Evidence has been reported in support of the reliability and validity of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) when used with physicians, medical students, and nurses. This study examined the psychometrics of a modified version of the scale in undergraduate nursing students. The modified version of the JSPE was administered to 333 nursing students at different levels of training. Three underlying constructs, that is, “Perspective Taking,” “Compassionate Care,” and “Standing in Patient’s Shoes” emerged from the factor analysis of the scale that were consistent with the conceptual framework of empathy, thus supporting the construct validity of the scale. The coefficient alpha was .77. Scores of the empathy scale were significantly correlated with the scores of the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes toward Physician–Nurse Collaboration (r = .38,p < .001). Women scored higher than men, and those with more clinical experiences scored higher than others. It was concluded that the empathy scale used in this study is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring empathy in undergraduate nursing students.

The Jefferson Scale of Attitudes toward Physician–Nurse Collaboration: A study with undergraduate nursing students

The Jefferson Scale of Attitudes toward Physician–Nurse Collaboration (JSAPNC) was administered to 333 undergraduate nursing students. The underlying factors, item-total score correlations and reliability of the JSAPNC were examined. A significant correlation was observed between scores of the JSAPNC and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (r = 0.38). It was hypothesized that: (1) Women would score higher than men on the JSAPNC, (2) Scores on the JSAPNC would increase as students progress in their nursing education, (3) Scores on the JSAPNC would be higher for students with work experiences in health care, and (4) Scores on the JSAPNC would be higher for those with a higher level of education prior to nursing school. Hypotheses 1, 3 and 4 were confirmed at a conventional statistical level of significance (p < 0.05), and hypothesis 2 was confirmed at a marginal significance level (p = 0.06). No significant differences were observed on scores of the JSAPNC among undergraduate nursing students grouped by ethnic minority, specialty plan, academic major prior to nursing school, or marital status. Implications for future studies in nursing education are discussed.

The Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Collaboration (JeffSATIC): development and multi-institution psychometric data

Abstract This study was designed to develop a psychometrically sound instrument to measure attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration in health profession students and practitioners regardless of their professions and areas of practice. Based on a review of the literature a list of 27 items was generated, 12 faculty judged the face validity of the items, and 124 health profession faculty examined the content validity of the items. The preliminary version of the instrument was administered to 1976 health profession students in three universities (Thomas Jefferson University, n = 510; Midwestern University, n = 392; and Monash University, n = 1074). Twenty items that survived the psychometric scrutiny were included in the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Collaboration (JeffSATIC). Two constructs of “working relationships” and “accountability” emerged from factor analysis of the JeffSATIC. Cronbach’s α coefficients for the JeffSATIC ranged from 0.84 to 0.90 in the three samples. Women obtained significantly higher JeffSATIC mean scores than men. Medical students obtained lower mean score on the JeffSATIC than most other health profession students at the same university. Psychometric support from a relatively large sample size of students in a variety of health profession programs in this multi-institutional study is encouraging which adds to the credibility of the JeffSATIC.

Access to Health Care by Refugees: A Dimensional Analysis

PURPOSE A dimensional analysis of access to healthcare services by the refugee population was conducted. BACKGROUND Refugees resettled to the United States are categorized as a vulnerable population and have limited economic and social resources. METHODS Dimensional analysis was employed to identify the concept by varying perspectives and dimensions. The perspectives from the healthcare provider and the refugee, as the healthcare consumer, were explored. RESULTS The following dimensions were identified: culture, language discrimination and stigmatization, and logistical concerns. Findings support that specific refugee groups have not been well-represented in the literature. CONCLUSION Knowledge of this unique population is integral to healthcare professionals who encounter refugees in clinical practice. Regardless of the specific group, access to healthcare services must be determined for better health outcomes.

The Empathy Enigma: Does It Still Exist? Comparison of Empathy Using Students and Standardized Actors.

Empathy is at the heart of all nurse-patient interactions. Yet empathy often declines during students’ nursing education. Nurse educators are challenged to find ways to offset this decline. A mixed-methods research design was used to assess whether an educational intervention using standardized actors influenced nursing student empathy. The results suggest that the educational intervention holds potential for improving empathy in nursing students.