Observations of Empathy of Nursing-Home Staff: A Predictive Study

Abstract

This study examines the power of seven demographic variables to predict the extent to which nursing-home staff offer empathy in their interactions with nursing-home residents. Behavioral observations, found to have rater-to-rater reliability, were utilized. Of the seven predictor variables (sex, age, employment status, length of work experience, education, type of institution, and occupational level), only the multiple r and work experience were found significant, although age came close to significance. Younger staff members with moderate lengths of experience were found the most empathic.