Emotional intelligence and empathy of nursing students in an immersive capstone clinical course

12^th Nursing and Healthcare Congress

October 03-05, 2016 Vancouver, Canada

Michelle Finch

Middle Tennessee State University, USA

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

The purpose of the study is to determine if there is a change in levels of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and empathy in senior students who complete an immersive capstone clinical practice experience in the final semester of a generic baccalaureate nursing program. Nursing education must address EI and empathy education in its curriculum. A suggested starting point is in the clinical setting. Incorporating EI and empathy as students care for patients in the immersive capstone clinical experience is hypothesized to increase those levels which can be effective. Students must learn how to understand and manage emotions in themselves and others and there is no more appropriate environment to learn those skills than in an immersive clinical capstone course. Hypothesis 1: There is a difference between scores in Emotional Intelligence and empathy among senior generic BSN nursing students before and after completing a capstone clinical practice experience in the final semester of a baccalaureate nursing program. Hypothesis 2: There is a difference in scores of emotional intelligence and empathy related to gender among senior generic BSN nursing students who experienced a capstone clinical. Hypothesis 3: There is a difference in scores of emotional intelligence and empathy among generic BSN students with prior healthcare experience who complete a capstone clinical. Statistical tests will be run to assess student�s performance on the EI tool and presented at conference.

Biography :

Michelle L Finch will complete her PhD in Nursing Education in August 2016 from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She is Assistant Professor at Middle Tennessee State University since August 2010. She is a Certified Pediatric Nurse for 11 years. For the past three years she has been the School of Nursing Faculty Senate Representative. She is active in faculty committees as well as teaching, service, and community activities. She has published one article in 2014.

Email: Michelle.Finch@mtsu.edu