Original Research Article
Year: 2023 | Month: April-June | Volume: 8 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 389-394
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20230249
Assessment of Empathic Ability and Factors Affecting Empathetic Behavior Regarding Care of Patients with Mental Illness Among Staff Nurses Working in the Selected Government Psychiatric Hospitals, Kolkata
Yearunnesha Khatun
Senior Nursing Tutor, Jiaganj School and College of Nursing, Sadarghat, Jiaganj, Murshidabad, West Bengal, PIN – 742123
ABSTRACT
A descriptive study was carried out to assess the empathic ability and factors affecting empathetic behavior regarding care of patients with mental illness among staff nurses working in the selected Government psychiatric hospitals, Kolkata. Health Belief Model of Rosenstoch and Becker (1975) were adopted as a conceptual framework. 96 staff nurses were selected by convenience sampling from Pavlov Mental Hospital, Kolakata-46 and Lumbini Park Mental Hospital, Kolkata-39. Paper/pencil test was used for data collection. The study findings based on descriptive and inferential statistical revealed that male staff nurses had high empathic ability than female staff nurses (M = 20%, F = 16%) and factors affecting empathetic behavior revealed that 53% had high level emotional exhaustion, 53 % had high level of depersonalization and 4% high level personal accomplishment. Calculated ‘r’ for empathic ability with depersonalization is 0.232 and the related ‘t’ values of is 2.29 at df (95); which is significantly associated. There were significant associations between level of empathic ability and type of family (10.8527) and number of family members (14.2415) at df (1)/<0.05 level. Recommendations for future studies are large sample size, replicated with professional and paramedical staff, on specific age groups of student nurses and staff nurses, in different settings.
Keywords: Empathic ability and Factors affecting empathic behavior