Relationship Between the Problem-Solving Skills and Empathy Skills of Operating Room Nurses

Abstract

Background The use of empathy in problem solving and communication is a focus of nursing practice and is of great significance in raising the quality of patient care. Purpose The purposes of this study are to investigate the relationship between problem solving and empathy among operating room nurses and to explore the factors that relate to these two competencies. Methods This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study. Study data were gathered using a personal information form, the Interpersonal Problem Solving Inventory, and the Basic Empathy Scale (N = 80). Descriptive and comparative statistics were employed to evaluate the study data. Results Age, marital status, and career length were not found to affect the subscale scores of cognitive empathy (p > .05). A negative correlation was found between the subscale scores for “diffidence” and “cognitive empathy.” Moreover, the emotional empathy scores of the graduate nurses were higher than those of the master's/doctorate degree nurses to a degree that approached significance (p = .078). Furthermore, emotional empathy levels were found to decrease as the scores for insistent/persistent approach, lack of self-confidence, and educational level increased (p < .05). The descriptive characteristics of the participating nurses were found not to affect their problem-solving skills. Conclusions/Implications for Practice Problem solving is a focus of nursing practice and of great importance for raising the quality of patient care. Constructive problem-solving skills affect cognitive empathy skills. Educational level and career length were found to relate negatively and level of self-confidence was found to relate positively with level of cognitive empathy. Finally, lower empathy scores were associated with difficult working conditions in operating rooms, intense stress, and high levels of potential stress-driven conflicts between workers in work settings.

Empathy and Mobile Phone Dependence in Nursing: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Public Hospital of the Island of Crete, Greece

“…Parents therefore develop higher levels of empathy. Despite that, a similar study in operating room nurses in Turkey demonstrated contradictory evidence, by highlighting no correlation between marital status and levels of empathy [30].…”

“…Another important finding is that HCAs demonstrated higher empathy levels compared to staff nurses. This might be related to the educational level, as relevant research [30], stressed that when the level of education increases, cognitive and emotional levels of empathy decrease. It should also be noticed that in the present study, the in-hospital work system involves the performance of many tasks by HCAs demanding more frequent and intense communication with patients.…”

Factors influencing the complex problem-solving skills in reflective learning: results from partial least square structural equation modeling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis

“…Research shows that the concept of emotional empathy is state empathy, with the focus on altruism [ 83 , 84 ]. Emotional empathy plays an important role in patient-nurse communication [ 85 ]. Failure to deal with or understand emotions will make it difficult for nurses to think rationally and critically about issues that are important to nursing practice [ 86 ].…”

The influencing factors of clinical nurses’ problem solving dilemma: a qualitative study

“…In today’s complex clinical environment, nurses need to be able to solve problems accurately, thoroughly, and quickly. Nurses who can solve problems efficiently have fewer medical errors (Babaei et al, 2018 ), and the level of nursing skills and empathy are higher (Ay et al, 2020 ; Bayindir Çevik & Olgun, 2015 ). To cultivate nurses’ problem solving thinking and ability, it is necessary to better understand the influencing factors of problem solving dilemma.…”