Situated teaching improves empathy learning of the students in a BSN program: A quasi-experimental study

Background: Empathy is an important clinical skill for nursing students, but it is a characteristic difficult to teach and assess. Objective: To evaluate the effect of situated teaching on empathy learning among undergraduate nursing students. Design: A cohort study with pre post-test quasi-experimental design. Participants and Setting: The 2nd-year students were enrolled from two BSN programs. Methods: The teaching program was completed over 4 months on the basis of experiential learning theory which integrated the following four elements: classroom-based role play, self-reflection, situated learning and acting. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy Health Profession Student version was administered before and after the program. Objective Structure Clinical Examination (OSCE) was administered at the end of program and a rubrics scale was used to measure empathy. A generalized estimation equation was used to identify the effect of subjective empathy, and an independent t-test was used for the objective assessment between two groups. Results: A total of 103 students were enrolled. The results showed that subjective empathy increased significantly in experimental group. In the Objective Structured Clinical Examination, examiners and standard patients gave significantly higher empathy scores to the situated teaching group than the control group. Conclusions: The present study indicated that situated teaching can improve empathy learning of the nursing students. However different methods of assessment of empathy produce different results. We therefore recommend that multiple measurements from difference perspectives are preferable in the assessment of empathy.