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.

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Objective: The primary aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of and antecedents to missing incidents among community-dwelling persons with dementia. Methods: This prospective study used mailed surveys and telephone interviews. Results: The prevalence of having any incident was 0.46/year; the overall prevalence for missing incidents in this study was 0.65/year. Missing incidents had few antecedents and occurred largely when persons with dementia were performing everyday activities that they normally completed without incident. Conclusion: Given that a missing incident is relatively common among persons with dementia, health care professionals should assist caregivers with a missing incident plan early in the disease process. Also, as missing persons are found by persons other than the caregiver and caregivers underutilize identification devices, health care professionals may recommend the use of identification devices to facilitate a safe return.

Our findings highlight the need for policies and programs aimed at improving the well-being of both children and families. A renewed commitment to such initiatives may help reduce health care costs and the need for people to use health and social services in later life.