Investigating the Relationship Between Disposition Toward Critical Thinking and Empathy in Nurses Working in the Birjand Educational Hospitals

Background: Nursing empathy, as an ethical behavior toward the maintenance of human dignity of patients, has always been a concern of hospital managers and healthcare policymakers on healthcare issues. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the disposition towards critical thinking (CT) and empathy in nurses of educational hospitals in Birjand. Methods: The population of this correlational study included a total of 214 nurses who were working in the educational hospitals of Birjand and met the inclusion criteria. Participants were selected using the quota sampling method. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and the California critical thinking disposition inventory (CCTDI) (Facione Facione 1992) as well as and Jefferson s scale of empathy (1987), which was completed by nurses. Data analysis was carried out using the Spearman correlation coefficient, multiple regression, MannWhitney U, and KruskalWallis tests in SPSS ver.15 at a significant level of 0.05. Results: The results showed a positive and significant relationship between the total CT disposition and empathy tools and their components (except for the systematicity and maturity displayed in standing in the patient s shoes as well as truthseeking with compassionate care components) (P 0.05). The mean empathy score in female nurses was significantly higher than in male nurses (P = 0.01). However, the mean CT disposition score in male and female nurses was not significantly different. In addition, there was no significant difference between the mean CT and the empathy score in nurses based on their age (P 0.05). Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that the planners in the field of nursing management training should develop the critical skills of nurses through workshops or inservice training to promote empathy among nurses.