ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the relationship between empathy, professional values and nursing ability of nurses in geriatric hospital, and to explore the mediating effect of empathy between professional values and clinical nursing ability of geriatric nurses.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional survey. In June 2022, 401 nurses from Beijing Geriatric Hospital were investigated by general data questionnaire, the Nursing Professional Values Scale, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professional and the Geriatric Nursing Competence Scale, and the mediation effect of empathy was analyzed by sequential inspection method.Results:The score of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professional was (114.25 ± 16.70) points, the score of the Nursing Professional Values Scale was (100.83 ± 17.76) points, the score of the Geriatric Nursing Competence Scale was (2.15 ± 0.76) points. Empathy was positively correlated with professional value and geriatric nursing ability ( r=0.456, 0.386, both P<0.01), while professional value was positively correlated with geriatric nursing ability ( r=0.421, P<0.01). In addition, empathy played a partial mediating effect between professional values and geriatric nursing ability, accounting for 27.78% of the total effect. Conclusions:This research shows that the nurses' empathy, professional value, geriatric nursing ability have significant positive correlation, and empathy between professional value and geriatric nursing ability play a partial intermediary role. It is suggested that managers should promote the cultivation of empathy and positive professional values of geriatric nurses through diversified training and perfect incentive measures, so as to stimulate work enthusiasm and improve the overall geriatric nursing ability.