Empathy, communication skills, and perceived self-efficacy among nursing staff in a hospital in Tamaulipas, Mexico

Abstract

Objective: To analyze empathy, communication skills, and perceived self-efficacy among nursing professionals. Materials and methods: A correlational and cross-sectional study was conducted in a second-level General Hospital located in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The population consisted of the nursing staff working at the institution; sampling was non-probabilistic and based on convenience. Data collection was carried out online, with informed consent from participants and authorization from the hospital's Ethics and Research Committee. Three instruments were applied: the Basic Empathy Scale (9 items), the Communication Skills Scale (18 items), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (10 items). Analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, employing descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman's rho), and multiple linear regression to identify predictors of perceived self-efficacy. Results: Data were obtained from 128 participants. Instrument analysis revealed a medium level of empathy (M = 30.13; SD = 4.050), good communication skills (M = 91.30; SD = 7.277), and high perceived self-efficacy (M = 35.41; SD = 4.326). Women showed significantly higher empathy scores than men, with no significant differences in the other variables. Conclusions: Communication skills were identified as a significant predictor of self-efficacy. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening personal factors and skills that influence nursing practice.

Materials and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in a second-level general hospital, selected using non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Data collection was conducted online, with informed consent and authorization from the ethics and research committee. Three instruments were applied: Basic Empathy Scale (9 items), Communication Skills Scale (18 items), and General Self-Efficacy Scale (10 items). The analysis was performed using SPSS v.25.

Results: Information was obtained from 128 participants: 106 women (82.8%) and 22 men (17.7%). The internal consistency of the instruments was adequate: empathy (α = .712), communication skills (α = .760), and self-efficacy (α = .877). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test showed a lack of normality, so nonparametric tests were applied. Individual analysis of the instruments showed an average level of empathy, good communication skills, and high perceived self-efficacy.

Conclusions: Nursing staff showed an average level of empathy, good communication skills, and high perceived self-efficacy. Empathy was found to be positively associated with communication skills, and the latter were a significant predictor of self-efficacy.