Date

Summer 2024

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Department

College of Nursing

First Advisor

Beverly Baliko

Abstract

Problem Statement: Research indicates that empathy is declining in today’s behavioral health nursing workforce. Purpose: The aim of this quality improvement project was to apply an evidence-based Visual Thinking Strategies intervention to the clinical problem and increase empathy levels from pre-survey measurement among psychiatric nurses. Method: VTS methodology was employed through in-person interviews where participants viewed art-based images pertaining to mental health. Feedback from semi-structured questions was shared among participants. Pre and post-test interventional quantitative data via The Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Provider version (JSE-HP) and The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) instruments were collected. Inclusion Criteria: Participants were voluntarily recruited from a hospital in the Midland’s region of South Carolina. Participants were: (1) registered nurses, (2) currently employed full-time, part-time, or as-needed (PRN), and (3) primarily assigned to inpatient adult and child/adolescent departments providing direct care to patients with mental illness. Analysis: The overall mean score for the JSE-HP and IRI scales were positive. For the JSE-HP scale there was a 162-point increase post survey and for the IRI scale there was a 2-point post survey increase. Due to the small sample size, it is recognized that differences in response results were not statistically significant. Future Implications: Aligned with previous literature, the VTS methodology has shown to be a versatile tool that can cultivate empathy in healthcare professionals. Hospital systems can incorporate empathy building exercises into training to provide holistic skills development opportunities.

Rights

© 2024, Katharine E Harding

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Available for download on Monday, August 31, 2026

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