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Objective

The objective was to provide a synthesis of already synthesized literature on empathy in order to identify similarities and differences among conceptualizations.

Methods

A review of reviews was conducted to locate synthesized literature published between January 1980 and December 2019. Two authors screened and extracted data, and quality-appraised the sources. A total of 52 articles deemed relevant to this overview were synthesized using thematic analysis.

Results

The analysis resulted in four themes found in most empathy conceptualizations. In empathy, the empathizer (1) understands, (2) feels, and (3) shares another person’s world (4) with self-other differentiation.

Conclusions

Most writings about empathy begin by claiming that there is far from a consensus on how empathy should be defined. This article shows a developing consensus among neuroscientists, psychologists, medical scientists, nursing scientists, philosophers, and others that empathy involves understanding, feeling, sharing, and self-other differentiation.

Practice implications

A clarification of the content of empathy may assist practitioners and researchers in avoiding confusion regarding the meaning of the concept, as well as in developing and measuring the relevant aspects of the concept.

Aim The aim of this study was to describe telephone nurses' experiences of their encounters with frequent callers to Swedish Healthcare Direct. Design A descriptive inductive design with qualitative approach. Methods Data collection was performed during the period of September 2017 - June 2018. A total of 199 telephone nurses working at 10 Swedish Healthcare Direct sites with different geographical locations in Sweden answered a survey containing seven open-ended questions. Data analysis was performed during the period of September 2018 - June 2019. The answers were analysed using content analysis. Results The telephone nurses perceived that the encounters with frequent callers were sometimes frustrating as they felt unable to help. According to the telephone nurses, the frequent callers called about the same issues several times and the calls were often about loneliness and psychiatric problems. The telephone nurses were worried about missing something urgent; one of the aspects leading to this was the perception of knowing the caller. They expressed a wish to know more about frequent callers and strategies for helping them. A common care plan for frequent callers' calls was suggested. Conclusion Telephone nurses often found it difficult to handle calls from frequent callers. However, they had a will to care for frequent callers and to learn more about them. Therefore, a common strategy, education and training for telephone nurses in answering calls from frequent callers could be beneficial for both callers and telephone nurses. Impact statement This study offers insights to researchers, telephone nurses and managers of telephone nursing, regarding telephone nurses' experiences in handling frequent caller calls. These findings can offer direction for the content of a possible intervention.

Background Communication is a cornerstone in nursing and aims at both information exchange and relationship building. To date, little is known about the naturally occurring communication between older persons and nurses in home care. Communication might heal through different pathways and a patient- or person-centered communication could be important for health and well-being of older persons. However, the delivery of individualized home care is challenged by routines and organizational demands such as time constraints. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the patient-centered aspects of home care communication between older persons and registered nurses. Methods In total 37 older persons (aged 65 years or older) and eleven RNs participated in 50 audio-recorded home care visits. Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) was used to code verbal communication. A ratio from these codes, establishing the degree of patient-centeredness, was analyzed using a Generalized Linear Mixed Model. Results The present home care communication contained more socio-emotional than task-oriented communication and the emotional tone was largely positive. The global affect ratings reflected an overall positive tone (m = 39.88,sd = 7.65), with higher ratings on dimensions of, for example, responsiveness/engagement and interactivity or interest were more frequent than those that may be considered as less-positive emotions (m = 15.56,sd = 3.91), e.g. hurried, dominance or anger. The ratio of the degree of patient-centered communication in the home care visits was an average of 1.53, revealing that the communication could be considered as patient-centered. The length of the visits was the only characteristic significantly associated with the degree of patient-centeredness in the communication, with a peak in patient-centeredness in visits 8-9 min long. Sex, age or procedural focus showed no significant effects on the degree of patient-centeredness. Conclusion Overall, the degree of patient-centeredness and a positive emotional tone, which might have a positive outcome on older persons' health, was high. Longer visits provided a higher degree of patient-centeredness, but no linear increase in patient-centeredness due to length of visit could be observed. The findings can be used for education and training of nurses, and for providing individualized care, e.g. patient- or person-centered care.

AIM: Previous research has mainly focused on the advantages of PCC and less on its disadvantages. Hence, there is a need to further explore the recent research regard-ing PCC from both sides. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to elucidate the advan-tages and disadvantages of PCC.

DESIGN: Discussion paper.

METHODS: We searched relevant literature published January 2000–March 2018 in PubMed, Medline, CHINAL, Scopus and Web of Science.

RESULTS: The results showed that PCC can contribute to improved health and well-being, improved mutual interaction in relationships, improved cost-effectiveness and im-proved work environment, while the disadvantages can involve increased personal and financial costs, exclusion of certain groups, increased personal and financial costs, exclu-sion of staff's personhood and unfairness due to empathy. An analysis of the existing literature on PCC showed paradoxes, which call for further investigation.

Aim: Empathy is a crucial component of the nurse–patient relationship, but knowledge is lacking as to when empathy develops during nursing education. The aim of the present study was to compare empathy levels at different stages of undergraduate nursing education and different master's nursing programmes. Design: The design was a comparative cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 329 participants in Sweden, comprised of nursing students in their second and sixth semesters in an undergraduate nursing programme as well as master's nursing students, rated their own empathy using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. Results: Students in their sixth semester in an undergraduate nursing programme expressed more empathy than did students in their second semester and master's nursing students. Among the five master's programmes, public-health nursing students expressed the most empathy and intensive-care nursing students the least. 

Objective: To provide a synthesis of already synthesized literature on person-centered care and patient-centered care in order to identify similarities and differences between the two concepts. Methods: A synthesis of reviews was conducted to locate synthesized literature published between January 2000 and March 2017. A total of 21 articles deemed relevant to this overview were synthesized using a thematic analysis. Results: The analysis resulted in nine themes present in person-centered as well as in patient-centered care: (1) empathy, (2), respect (3), engagement, (4), relationship, (5) communication, (6) shared decision-making, (7) holistic focus, (8), individualized focus, and (9) coordinated care. The analysis also revealed that the goal of person-centered care is a meaningful life while the goal of patient-centered care is a functional life. Conclusions: While there are a number of similarities between the two concepts, the goals for person-centered and patient-centered care differ. The similarities are at the surface and there are important differences when the concepts are regarded in light of their different goals. Practice implications: Clarification of the concepts may assist practitioners to develop the relevant aspects of care. Person-centered care broadens and extends the perspective of patient-centered care by considering the whole life of the patient.