Research Brief: Changes in Empathy of Pre-Professional Healthcare Students From Matriculation to Graduation

Abstract

In this research brief, researchers used a quantitative method, descriptive design, and cross-sequential grouping to investigate changes in empathy of pre-professional healthcare students over the course of their degree programs. Changes in empathy occurred; however, changes did not measure as statistically significant. Empathy overall increased; it decreased for certain majors and increased for others. The importance of empathy in the healthcare arena points to a need for specific efforts by educators toward increasing student empathy throughout these programs of study. This study showed that empathy is being maintained, but only just barely, over the course of these programs.