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Community College Healthcare Students’ Conceptions of Empathy: A Program-Wide Mixed Methods Case Study

Fields, Kellee M.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3419-1808
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1447689608

Abstract Details

2015, EdD, University of Cincinnati, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Curriculum and Instruction.
Community colleges play a vital role in the education of our Nation’s healthcare professions. In order to respond to the rising economic and social needs of the healthcare sector, community colleges are meeting the challenge by providing health professions skills and training programs to meet these shortages. These crucial programs are charged with educating a diverse group of students which reflect upon the large scale demographic population changes in society. Patients and employers in recent years have voiced their concerns about the role of healthcare providers as they note a decline in essential professionalism traits and behaviors. In particular, the healthcare professional should espouse the ethical value of empathy as it is extremely beneficial to all stakeholders. This study explored students’ conceptions of empathy to provide information about the timing and effectiveness of potential strategies to develop this desired professionalism skill. A mixed methods case study design was used in which a quantitative survey measuring students’ empathy for their patients was embedded in a primarily qualitative case study which interviewed three groups of students (first-year, second-year, and graduates) in a Respiratory Care Program at a community college. The qualitative interviews revealed empathy was developed through the curricular aspects of role modeling, case study, and clinical experiences. As the students progressed through the program, a contextualization of empathy in practice occurred. In addition, empathy was present and sustained throughout the program as demonstrated by the empathy scale. In summary, the students exhibited empathy toward their patients and associated its valued meaning in the profession. The study findings may have broad implications for healthcare programs regarding curriculum design and strategies, instructors, and students. In addition, this study may also contribute to the vast changes taking place within our Nation’s healthcare system by affecting the way healthcare professionals are educated. Ultimately, these findings hopefully may contribute to fostering the professional behavior of empathy among healthcare practitioners in order to improve patient care.
Jonathan M Breiner, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Carla Johnson, Ed.D. (Committee Member)
Sally Moomaw, Ed.D. (Committee Member)
140 p.
Community Colleges
healthcare students; healthcare education; empathy; community college; professionalism skills; mixed methods case study

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Fields, K. M. (2015). Community College Healthcare Students’ Conceptions of Empathy: A Program-Wide Mixed Methods Case Study [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1447689608

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Fields, Kellee. Community College Healthcare Students’ Conceptions of Empathy: A Program-Wide Mixed Methods Case Study. 2015. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1447689608.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Fields, Kellee. "Community College Healthcare Students’ Conceptions of Empathy: A Program-Wide Mixed Methods Case Study." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1447689608

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1447689608
648
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This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.