Empathy of nursing students in a simulated clinical activity

Abstract

Objective: To identify and evaluate the empathy of nursing students before and after a simulated clinical activity. Method: This is a quantitative and quasi-experimental study, carried out in the inland of the state of São Paulo. 107 nursing students participated in the study. A medium-fidelity clinical simulation scenario was built and validated. Empathy was evaluated through the Empathy Inventory before and after the simulated clinical activity. Results: There were positive changes after the simulated clinical activity in the cognitive components of empathy and there were no changes, in parts, in the affective component of empathy. Conclusion: The simulated clinical activity, well outlined in a validated clinical simulation scenario, was able to improve the cognitive component of empathy but was not susceptible to changes in the affective component of empathy, which transfigures into feelings of compassion and altruism.