Psychometric properties of the Jefferson Empathy Scale in four nursing student faculties.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Jefferson Medical Empathy Scale, Spanish version (JSE-S), its factorial structure, reliability, and the presence of invariance between genders in the behavior of empathy levels among Chilean nursing students. METHOD: Instrumental research design. The JSE-S was applied to 1,320 nursing students. A confirmatory factor analysis was used. An invariance study between genders was carried out. Descriptive statistics were estimated. Between genders, Student's T distribution was applied alongside a homoscedasticity analysis. The level of significance was α ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The confirmatory factor analysis determined the existence of three dimensions in the matrix. The statistical results of the invariance tests were significant, and allowed comparison between genders. Differences were found between mean empathy values, as well as in some of its dimensions between genders. CONCLUSION: The factor structure of empathy data and its dimensions is in correspondence with the underlying three-dimensional model. There are differences in empathy levels and their dimensions between genders, with the exception of the compassionate care dimension, which was distributed similarly. Women were more empathetic than men.

Psychometric properties of the Jefferson Empathy Scale in four nursing student faculties / Propriedades psicométricas da Jefferson Empathy Scale em quatro faculdades de estudantes de enfermagem / Propiedades psicométricas de la Jefferson Empathy Scale en cuatro facultades de estudiantes de enfermería

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Jefferson Medical Empathy Scale, Spanish version (JSE-S), its factorial structure, reliability, and the presence of invariance between genders in the behavior of empathy levels among Chilean nursing students. Method Instrumental research design. The JSE-S was applied to 1,320 nursing students. A confirmatory factor analysis was used. An invariance study between genders was carried out. Descriptive statistics were estimated. Between genders, Student's T distribution was applied alongside a homoscedasticity analysis. The level of significance was α ≤ 0.05. Results The confirmatory factor analysis determined the existence of three dimensions in the matrix. The statistical results of the invariance tests were significant, and allowed comparison between genders. Differences were found between mean empathy values, as well as in some of its dimensions between genders. Conclusion The factor structure of empathy data and its dimensions is in correspondence with the underlying three-dimensional model. There are differences in empathy levels and their dimensions between genders, with the exception of the compassionate care dimension, which was distributed similarly. Women were more empathetic than men.

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da Jefferson Medical Empathy Scale , versão em espanhol (JSE-S), sua estrutura fatorial, confiabilidade e a presença de invariância entre os sexos no comportamento dos níveis de empatia entre estudantes de enfermagem chilenos. Método Desenho de pesquisa instrumental. O JSE-S foi aplicado a 1.320 estudantes de enfermagem. Uma análise fatorial confirmatória foi usada. Foi realizado um estudo de invariância entre os gêneros. Estatísticas descritivas foram estimadas. Entre os gêneros, a distribuição T de Student foi aplicada juntamente com uma análise de homocedasticidade. O nível de significância adotado foi α ≤ 0,05. Resultados A análise fatorial confirmatória determinou a existência de três dimensões na matriz. Os resultados estatísticos dos testes de invariância foram significativos e permitiram a comparação entre os gêneros. Foram encontradas diferenças entre os valores médios de empatia, bem como em algumas de suas dimensões entre os gêneros. Conclusão A estrutura fatorial dos dados de empatia e suas dimensões está em correspondência com o modelo tridimensional subjacente. Existem diferenças nos níveis de empatia e suas dimensões entre os gêneros, com exceção da dimensão do cuidado compassivo, que se distribuiu de forma semelhante. As mulheres eram mais empáticas do que os homens.

RESUMEN Objetivo Evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de la Jefferson Medical Empathy Scale , versión en español (JSE-S), su estructura factorial, confiabilidad y la presencia de invariancia entre géneros en el comportamiento de los niveles de empatía entre estudiantes de enfermería chilenos. Método Diseño de investigación instrumental. La JSE-S se aplicó a 1.320 estudiantes de enfermería. Se utilizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio. Se realizó un estudio de invariancia entre géneros. Se estimaron estadísticas descriptivas. Entre los géneros, la distribución T de Student se aplicó junto con el análisis de homocedasticidad. El nivel de significancia fue α ≤ 0,05. Resultados El análisis factorial confirmatorio determinó la existencia de tres dimensiones en la matriz. Los resultados estadísticos de las pruebas de invariancia fueron significativos y permitieron la comparación entre géneros. Se encontraron diferencias entre los valores medios de empatía, así como en algunas de sus dimensiones entre géneros. Conclusión La estructura factorial de los datos de empatía y sus dimensiones está en correspondencia con el modelo tridimensional subyacente. Existen diferencias en los niveles de empatía y sus dimensiones entre géneros, a excepción de la dimensión de cuidado compasivo, que se distribuyó de manera similar. Las mujeres eran más empáticas que los hombres.

Empatia, género y declinacion empática en estudiantes de enfermería / Empathy, gender and empathie declination in nursing students

RESUMEN Objetivo: Determinar los niveles de empatía en estudiantes de enfermería. Material y métodos: Estudio exploratorio, transversal. Se estudió una muestra de 479 estudiantes. Se utilizó la Escala de Empatía de Jefferson. Se analizaron las diferencias en la empatía y sus componentes. Resultados: No hubo diferencias significativas en el factor año académico de los estudiantes, pero sí en el factor género. Se observó un aumento de la empatz'a en el género femenino; en el género masculino se observó un decremento a partir del segundo año. Hubo diferencias entre los géneros. Conclusiones: Los niveles de empatía en las mujeres se comportan de forma "plana" a través de los cursos, pero con valores mayores que los del promedio general de los datos observados. Los niveles de empatía en los hombres se comportan con una tendencia a la declinación empática.

SUMMARY Objective: To determine the empathy in nursing students. Material and methods: Exploratory, cross-sectional study. A sample of 479 students was studied. The Jefferson Empathy Scale was used. Empathy and its components were analyzed. Results: There were no significant differences in the academic year factor of the students. However in the gender factor they were found. An increase in empathy was observed in the female gender; in the masculine gender a decrease is observed from the second year. There were differences between the genders. Conclusions: The empathy in women behave "flat" through the courses, but with values higher than the general average of the observed data. The empathy in men behave with a tendency to empathic decline.

Efectos de la experiencia clínica en las actitudes de estudiantes de enfermería hacia las personas con discapacidad psiquiátrica / Effects of clinical experience in the nursing student attitudes toward people with psychiatric disabilities

RESUMEN En la formación del estudiante de pregrado de Enfermería se hace fundamental la elección de experiencias de aprendizaje significativas. Objetivo: Determinar el efecto de la experiencia clínica en servicios de psiquiatría, en las actitudes de estudiantes de Enfermería hacia las personas con discapacidad psiquiátrica. Material y método: Diseño cuasi experimental de pre y postest. La muestra incluyó un total de 84 estudiantes de Enfermería de tercer año de dos universidades de Santiago de Chile. El total de la muestra completó la "Escala de Actitudes hacia las Personas con Discapacidad" (EAPD) forma G. Se consideró como intervención las estrategias usadas en las asignaturas clínicas de enfermería psiquiátrica en ambas universidades. Se realizó prueba t de student para muestras relacionadas. Resultados: Se encontró diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p< 0,05) en el postest, lo que está relacionado con las experiencias de aprendizaje que consideran el contacto con personas con discapacidad psiquiátrica, en diferentes dispositivos de la red de psiquiatría y el acompañamiento docente directo. Conclusión: Estos hallazgos validan la importancia de la elección de experiencias clínicas, en los currículos de formación de Enfermería, como instancias que disminuyen las actitudes negativas como la estigmatización.

ABSTRACT The choice of meaningful learning experiences becomes essential in basic Nursing education programs. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of clinical experience in psychiatric services in Nursing students' attitudes towards people with mental illnesses. A quasi-experimental design method of pre-test and post-test was used. The sample was made up of 84 third-year-nursing students from two universities in Santiago, Chile. All of the participants completed the Scale of Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons (SADP)-G. The strategies used in subjects of psychiatric nursing at both universities were regarded as intervention. Student t test for related samples was performed. Results: Respondents reported statistically significant difference (p <0.05) in the post test, which is associated with learning experiences that consider contact with people with mental illness in any of the different psychiatry network nodes and direct educational support. Conclusion: Validate the importance of including the clinical experience in the nursing training curriculum as a way of reducing negative attitudes of Nursing students, such as stigmatization, towards people with mental illnesses.