Greek nurses' perceptions on empathy and empathic care in the Intensive Care Unit

Enablers and Barriers of Compassionate Care From a Nurses' Perspective: A Scoping Review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To identify and synthesise empirical evidence on the perspectives of nurses regarding factors that enable and/or obstruct the delivery of compassionate care.

METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN AND JUSTIFICATION

A scoping review was chosen for its capacity to perform a broad exploration of the available literature.

ETHICAL ISSUES

This scoping review raises no ethical issues.

RESEARCH METHODS

This review includes studies that report enablers and barriers of compassionate care. Both qualitative and quantitative designs were included. The quality of each study was assessed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT). A narrative synthesis was employed to summarise the results.

INSTRUMENTS

A search was conducted in the electronic databases of MEDLINE and CINAHL (1975-2021).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Barriers and enablers to compassionate care from nurses' perspectives.

RESULTS

Fifteen empirical studies were included in this review. Four themes of enablers and barriers to compassionate care emerged: (1) personal characteristics, (2) professional characteristics, (3) patient-related factors, and (4) workplace-related factors. Main facilitators were a strong motivation to deliver compassionate care, the managements' support of compassion as a nursing value and operating in a healthy team culture. Main barriers were the absence of education and/or role models for compassionate care, heavy workloads, and the managements' prioritisation of task-centred care.

STUDY LIMITATIONS

This study is limited by the inclusion of qualitative studies with small samples and the absence of data from Northern Europe and North America.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that policymakers, healthcare leaders, and nursing management play an important role in nurses' ability to provide compassionate care. Through leadership that centralises compassion as a core nursing value, nurses receive greater support in prioritising compassion in patient care. This support is further enhanced by ensuring adequate staffing and manageable schedules, offering comprehensive training in compassionate care skills, and providing resources to support nurses' wellbeing.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO: CRD42022324955 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=324955.

Relationship between empathy and burnout as well as potential affecting and mediating factors from the perspective of clinical nurses: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Burnout is prevalent in healthcare professionals, especially among nurses. This review aims to examine the correlation between empathy and burnout as well as the variables that influence and mediate them.

METHODS

This review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline, to present a systematic evaluation of literature. A literature search of four electronic databases including CINAHL (EBSCO), EMBASE, PubMed, and Google Scholar was conducted from 2014 to 2024. A total of 1081 articles were identified in the initial search. After screening the title, abstract, and context of these articles, 16 eligible articles were finally included in this review.

RESULTS

This review identified a number of factors related to empathy and burnout levels. The included studies showed consistent results that empathy and burnout were generally negatively related. When considering the different components of empathy or burnout independently, as well as the mediating factors involved, relations between empathy and burnout may alter.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided an excellent summary of some important research on the mediating and affecting factors associated with burnout and empathy. These results can facilitate further development of interventions and policies to better manage and prevent burnout in nurses.

How the nursing work environment moderates the relationship between clinical judgment and person-centered care among intensive care unit nurses

BACKGROUND

Person-centered care focuses on individualized care that respects patients' values, preferences, and autonomy. To enhance the quality of critical care nursing, institutions need to identify the factors influencing ICU nurses' ability to provide person-centered care. This study explored the relationship between clinical judgment ability and person-centered care among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, emphasizing how the ICU nursing work environment moderates this relation.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted between September 4 and September 18, 2023, with 192 ICU nurses recruited from four general hospitals with a convenience sample (valid response rate = 97.4%). Participants completed online self-report structured questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression and PROCESS macro Model 1, with a 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval to verify moderating effects.

RESULTS

Clinical judgment ability (β = .24, p < .001) and ICU nursing work environment (β = .50 p < .001) were found to be significant predictors of person-centered care. These two predictors explained the 47.0% of person-centered care in the final hierarchical regression model. Additionally, Clinical judgment (B = 0.28, p < .001, Boot. 95%CI = 0.13~0.42) and the ICU nursing work environment (B = 0.41, p < .001, Boot. 95%CI = 0.30~0.52) positively affected person-centered care, and the interaction term of clinical judgment and ICU nursing work environment (B = 0.16, p = .026, Boot. 95%CI = 0.02~0.30) also positively affected person-centered care. The moderating effect was particularly significant when the ICU nursing work environment score was 2.90 points (below 14.6%, above 85.4%) or higher on a scale of 1-5 and As the ICU nursing work environment score increased, the positive moderating effect also increased.

CONCLUSIONS

The ICU nurses' clinical judgment ability positively affected person-centered care, and the nursing work environment moderated the relationship between clinical judgment ability and person-centered care. Therefore, strategies for enhancing person-centered care among ICU nurses should focus on developing educational programs to improve clinical judgment ability and implementing comprehensive efforts to effectively improve and manage the nursing work environment.

Empathic Care Culture in Intensive Care Unit Nurses: A Focused Ethnographic Study

Empathy is one of the important components in the patient-nurse relationship. The aim of the study was to explain the culture of empathic care in intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. The present focused ethnographic study was conducted in the cardiac surgery ICU in Tehran. Three methods of observation, interview, and review of existing documents were used to collect data. From data analysis, three cultural models, "Predominance of task-based care over emotion-based care," "Empathy and lack of empathy, two ends of the spectrum of the nurse-patient relationship," and "Empathy, an interactive and reciprocal process," were extracted. The results showed that empathy creates a caring environment where nurses not only understand their patients but also relate to them, and both are affected by it. Policymakers should consider removing barriers as a means of empowering nurses to provide empathic care.

The Empathetic Involvement of Nurses in the Context of Neuroscience: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background/Objectives: Empathy and emotional regulation (susceptibility and resistance) play an important role in a nurse's well-being and the provision of high-quality care. This phenomenon has not yet been studied in the context of nurses working in neuroscience. This study aimed to explore the perceptions related to empathy among nurses working in neuroscience contexts. Methods: Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted an online quantitative survey with 211 nurses working in various neuroscience settings using the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES) and 15 online semistructured qualitative interviews to delve deeper into empathetic experiences. The mean and measures of dispersion, such as standard deviation, were used to analyze the quantitative data. Thematic analysis investigated qualitative data, and data triangulation was performed. Results: The quantitative findings revealed no significant differences in empathy or emotional regulation across the different neuroscience settings but highlighted an increase in susceptibility related to young age (under 29) and years of service (first 5 years). The interviews brought to light the challenges nurses face in highly emotional situations and the strategies they employ to manage empathy and maintain professional detachment, such as self-care strategies, awareness development, and team support. One hindering factor is managers. Conclusions: The findings of this study underscore the essential role of empathetic capability in nursing care in neuroscience. The experience of younger nurses and the first 5 years of employment are elements to be considered by managers for burnout risk. Nurses demonstrate susceptibility and resistance and maintain a balance in dealing with high-emotional-stress situations. The implications of these findings are significant and should guide future research and practice in the field of neuroscience nursing.

Mediating role of self-compassion in relationship between attachment styles and empathy in nurses

INTRODUCTION

Empathy with the patient is one of the important factors in nursing care. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between attachment styles and empathy in nurses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This correlational study was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) method. The statistical population included nurses working at public hospitals in Yazd City, Iran. A total of 308 nurses were selected by convenience sampling method. The data were collected using self-compassion scale, adult attachment styles scale, Jefferson scale of empathy and analyzed using structural equation analysis in AMOS software.

RESULTS

Secure and anxious/ambivalent insecure attachment styles were positively and negatively correlated with empathy, respectively (p < .01). The path coefficient between avoidant and anxious/ambivalent insecure attachment styles and self-compassion was negative. On the contrary, the path coefficient between secure attachment style and self-compassion was positive. There was a positive correlation between self-compassion and empathy. The indirect path coefficient of secure and anxious/ambivalent insecure attachment styles to empathy through self-compassion. was significant (p < .01).

CONCLUSION

The results showed secure and anxious/ambivalent insecure attachment could directly and indirectly through influencing self-compassion predict empathy in nurses.

Does a participatory live music practice support nurses to deliver compassionate care to hospitalised patients? A qualitative study

AIM

To gain more insight into how nurses experience a participatory live music practice in relation to their ability to deliver compassionate care to medically hospitalised patients.

DESIGN

Qualitative interpretive design.

METHODS

Sixteen nurses participating in a live music practice with patients were interviewed using in-depth interviews with open-ended questions. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and subsequently coded. Theory-driven inductive and deductive approaches were applied in thematic data analysis.

RESULTS

We identified four themes: (1) Nurses' empathy and compassion; (2) The caring nurse-patient relationship; (3) Person-centred approaches to care and (4) Nurses' subjective wellbeing. By observing patients' reactions to the music, nurses described that they obtained a deeper insight and understanding of patients' emotional wellbeing. These observations led to increased feelings of compassion in patient contact and stimulated informal communication between nurses and patients through a sense of shared humanity. According to nurses, these aspects positively affected collaboration with patients in delivering care and stimulated them to pursue person-centred approaches to care. Participating in the live music practice also positively affected nurses' wellbeing, enhanced relaxation and created an ambiance in which compassion could be expressed.

CONCLUSION

A live music practice can positively contribute to the delivery of compassionate care by providing meaningful shared moments that increase feelings of empathy and compassion and strengthen the caring relationship.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION

Offering a live music practice at the ward and bedside offers a unique possibility to enhance engagement in person-centred, compassionate care.

IMPACT

While compassion and compassionate care are essential component of nursing, nurses often experience multiple barriers to its provision in daily practice. An innovative way to stimulate compassionate care is through the participation of nurses and patients in a live music practice, providing a meaningful moment shared between them. This stimulates feelings of shared humanity and bonding in the caring relationship.

REPORTING METHOD

The COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research (COREQ). No Patient or Public Contribution.

Nurses' Views on Caring for Lonely Patients During the Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

The implementation of safety measures in hospitals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including family visitation restrictions, forced the family to be absent during the patient's hospitalization. Nurses were confronted with new roles and responsibilities, as caring for lonely patients was a new phenomenon that emerged during the pandemic.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore the nurses' views on caring for lonely patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A qualitative research method based on an inductive content analysis approach was used. Data collection was carried out using semi-structured interviews. The sample consisted of 11 nurses who worked in COVID-19 wards and units. Content analysis was used to analyze the interview data.

RESULTS

The analysis of the data revealed three main themes: 1) caring for the patient and the family; 2) extending conventional care; and 3) developing supportive mechanisms for better care. Caring for lonely patients brought about changes in patients's management and care and significantly affected communication patterns as well as nurses' roles and responsibilities. Providing care beyond limits, supporting care through the utilization of new technologies, and transforming organization and care were mentioned as areas of challenge for nursing practice.  Conclusions: Maintaining communication and supporting the family's involvement in patient care are considered to be equal to healing for the lonely patient. Reshaping working conditions and caring practices to meet the needs of the nurses, the patients, and their families during health crises may contribute positively to the provision of holistic care for patients and their families.

Cultural competence in critical care nurses and its relationships with empathy, job conflict, and work engagement: a cross-sectional descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Cultural competence is more important than ever for nurses today; therefore, it may be helpful to learn more about it and examine how it relates to empathy, job conflict, and work engagement. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the level of cultural competence, empathy, job conflict, and work engagement; (b) the relationship between cultural competence, demographic information, and main variables; (c) the predictors of cultural competence among critical care nurses.

METHODS

A multicenter, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran from August to October 2022. Through convenience sampling, 153 critical care nurses from three hospitals participated. The research tool consisted of five parts: Demographic information questionnaire, Cultural Competence Questionnaire, Jefferson Scale Empathy, Dobrin Job Conflict, and Utrecht Work Engagement, which were collected by paper self-report. Descriptive statistics, the correlation between variables, and linear regression were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Among critical care nurses (response rate 79.27%), the mean (SD) scores for cultural competence, empathy, job conflict, and work engagement were 74.05 (7.96), 83.44 (29.17), 11.00 (2.38), and 43.69 (16.33), respectively. There was a significant correlation between cultural competence and age (r = 0.46, p = 0.001), marital status (r = 0.27, p = 0.004), academic degree (r = 0.44, p = 0.001), work experiences (r = 0.43, p = 0.001), empathy (r = 0.50, p = 0.001), and job conflict (r=-0.16, p = 0.049). Academic degree (β = 0.36, p < 0.001) and empathy (β = 0.26, p < 0.001) were significant explanatory variables that predict cultural competence.

CONCLUSION

In Iranian critical care nurses, cultural competence and job conflict were moderate, empathy was good, and work engagement was poor. There was a significant relationship between cultural competence, age, marital status, academic degree, work experiences, empathy, and job conflict. Academic degree and empathy predict cultural competence.

Intensive Care Nurses' Experience of Caring in Greece; A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Whilst nurses and critical care services have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more apparent that intensive care nurses are presented with challenging ethical and clinical decisions and are required to care for individuals with critical illnesses under high-pressure conditions. This is not a new phenomenon. The aim of this study, which was conducted before the outbreak of COVID-19, was to explore the experience of caring through the narratives of intensive care nurses in Greece.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with nineteen ICU nurses in Athens. Transcripts were subjected to Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis and organised with Atlas.ti v8 QDA software.

RESULTS

The intensive care nurses' experience of caring in Greece encompassed four themes: (A) being "proximal", "co-present" and caring with empathy, (B) being "responsible" for your patient and negotiating with the doctors, (C) technology and "fighting with all you've got", and (D) "not being kept informed" and disappointment.

CONCLUSIONS

The narratives of this study highlight that ICU nurses in Greece provide patient-centred and compassionate care. Nurse leaders should develop appropriate healthcare policies so as to ensure the adequate provision of staff, specialist education, and support to nurses working in critical care. Failure to address these issues may lead to poor quality of care and negative patient outcomes.

Compassion Fatigue in Oncology Nurses in Turkey: A Qualitative Study

Nurses working in oncology clinics, where terminal patients are frequently cared for, face the risk of compassion fatigue, and, therefore, it is important to understand their experiences of this condition. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify compassion fatigue among nurses working in oncology clinics. The findings led to the identification of 5 themes: empathy, sadness, despair, depersonalization, and not suffering from death.

Self-disclosure, empathy and anxiety in nurses

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine the relationship between self-disclosure, empathy, and anxiety in nurses.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The study was conducted with 255 nurses working in hospitals in Turkey. Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Form, the Self-Disclosure Scale (SDS), the Basic Empathy Scale (BES), and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

FINDINGS

A statistically significant positive relationship was found among the SDS, BES, and Spielberger STAI.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Psychiatric nurses should ensure the reduction of nurses' anxiety levels by planning different interventions such as psychotherapy, counseling, and training. They may determine nurses' self-disclosure and empathy skills as well as their needs.

Moral distress interventions: An integrative literature review

Moral distress has been well reviewed in the literature with established deleterious side effects for all healthcare professionals, including nurses, physicians, and others. Yet, little is known about the quality and effectiveness of interventions directed to address moral distress. The aim of this integrative review is to analyze published intervention studies to determine their efficacy and applicability across hospital settings. Of the initial 1373 articles discovered in October 2020, 18 were appraised as relevant, with 1 study added by hand search and 2 after a repeated search was completed in January and then in May of 2021, for a total of 22 reviewed articles. This review revealed data mostly from nurses, with some studies making efforts to include other healthcare professions who have experienced moral distress. Education-based interventions showed the most success, though many reported limited power and few revealed statistically lowered moral distress post intervention. This may point to the difficulty in adequately addressing moral distress in real time without adequate support systems. Ultimately, these studies suggest potential frameworks which, when bolstered by organization-wide support, may aid in moral distress interventions making a measurable impact.

Psychological immune competency predicts burnout syndrome among the high-risk healthcare staff: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Burnout and psychological immune competency have not been investigated together among employees of high-risk specializations such as emergency medicine, intensive care or surgery.

AIM

In this study we aim to examine the prevalence of burnout among high-risk clinical staff and explore whether the strength of psychological immune competency predict burnout.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional design utilizing a self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants (n = 216). Nurses (n = 145) and physicians (n = 71) from emergency medicine, intensive care and surgery departments participated in the study.

METHOD

Burnout syndrome was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, while psychological immune competency was measured using the Psychological Immune Competency Questionnaire. The data collection started in June of 2018 and was finished in March of 2019.

RESULTS

Participants with higher psychological immune competency reported lower levels of burnout: emotional exhaustion (r = -0.478; p < 0.001), depersonalization (r = -0.459; p < 0.001) and personal accomplishment (r = 0.543; p < 0.001). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis revealed the psychological immune competency to be a stable predictor of burnout on all three scales.

CONCLUSION

Psychological immune competency shows a strong relationship with scales of burnout syndrome and as such should be further examined due to development of successful intervention and prevention programs.

Gender and occupational role differences in work-related post-traumatic stress symptoms, burnout and global functioning in emergency healthcare workers

OBJECTIVES

To explore gender and occupational role impact on work-related Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, burnout and global functioning in a sample of emergency healthcare workers.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

126 healthcare workers of the Emergency Department, including Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Room and Emergency Medicine, of a major University Hospital in central Italy were recruited.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Participants were assessed by means of the: Trauma and Loss Spectrum-Self Report (TALS-SR) to explore Post-Traumatic Stress Spectrum Symptoms, Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Scale to assess Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout and Compassion Fatigue and Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) to measure global functioning.

RESULTS

The present findings showed females were more prone to develop Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, particularly re-experiencing (p = .010) and hyperarousal (p = .026) symptoms and medical doctors reporting higher Burnout (p < .001) and lower Compassion Satisfaction (p = .009) mean scores than nurses. Higher levels of functioning impairment emerged amongst medical doctors rather than nurses, in both social (p = .029) and private (p = .020) leisure activities. Linear correlations highlighted relationships between the TALS-SR, ProQOL and WSAS scores. Finally, medical doctor status was significantly associated with lower Compassion Satisfaction (p = .029) and higher Burnout (p = .015).

CONCLUSION

Our results highlight high post-traumatic stress symptoms and burnout levels in emergency healthcare workers with a relevant impact of female gender and occupational role, supporting the need for preventive strategies, also in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Servant leadership and its association with an environment of empathic care: an empirical analysis of the perspectives of mid-level practitioners

PURPOSE

At the nexus of servant leadership and empathic care, this paper aims to explore the perceptions that mid-level practitioners express regarding the role that servant leadership plays in fostering an environment of empathic care.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The authors surveyed mid-level practitioners across a large integrated health system (n = 167). Through exploratory factor analysis, we identify factors that serve as antecedents to an environment of empathic care. The factor analysis was complimented with partial least squares structural equation modeling to test a theoretical model of empathic care.

FINDINGS

The model explains approximately 37% of the variance observed in an empathic care environment (R² = 0.372). The authors identify key constructs within servant leadership that health-care leaders can focus their efforts on to promote an environment of empathic care.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This study answers multiple calls for more empirical research into servant leadership and is one of the few studies that explores servant leadership within an exogeneous context. This research focuses on the perceptions of mid-level providers, whereas most extant servant leadership and empathy research focuses on the perceptions of patients. The authors extend servant leadership theory in a health-care context and support prior findings that servant leadership is a multidimensional construct. The authors outline a sound methodological approach for investigating the linkage between specific principles of servant leadership that can serve as predictors for the creation of an environment of empathic care.

Empathy and Mobile Phone Dependence in Nursing: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Public Hospital of the Island of Crete, Greece

This study examined the relationship between empathy and mobile phone dependence levels of the nursing staff in a public hospital in the island of Crete, using a cross-sectional study design. Data from 109 staff nurses and healthcare assistants (HCAs) were collected via the Greek version of the Mobile Phone Dependence Questionnaire (MPDQ) and the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ). Multiple linear regression was used to determine the correlation between empathy and mobile phone dependency. The total mean score for TEQ was 33.9 (±5.7). Accordingly, the total mean score for MPDQ was 22.9 (±6.1). High mobile phone dependence was found in 4.7% of the participants. A statistically significant difference was found between HCAs and staff nurses, with HCAs presenting a higher mean empathy levels (TEQ) (36.5 vs. 32.6) and lower dependence levels (MPDQ) (18.9 vs. 24.5) than staff nurses. A significant correlation between empathy and dependence was found between dependence and the altruism empathy subscale, with higher dependence being correlated with lower altruism. The participants’ levels of empathy do not seem to be affected by mobile phone dependence. However, empathy appears to be strongly determined by increased age and professional status. Nurses’ dependence on mobile phones is a complex phenomenon that requires attention. Educational programs on empathy and information on the proper use of mobile phones by the nursing staff should be provided.

The Impact of Relational and Organizational-Environmental Aspects in Hospital Blood Collection: Clinical and Health Indications and New Training Needs

This study deals with people who underwent a blood test and consequently suffered a fainting episode in the past. This phenomenon affects many people and if not adequately dealt with, it can lead to a perception of the blood test as a serious and traumatic event, which could limit its use as a preventive diagnostic tool. These experiences have been explored by research mainly on the basis of the physiological mechanisms involved in fainting, with a few studies considering the actual lived experience related to the blood test. This study explored how this experience is lived and managed, capturing aspects that could facilitate blood tests and the procedures associated with them, thus it focused on people with vasovagal syncope and was articulated through the semi-structured interview methodology. Among the significant results is the importance of the relational aspects implemented by health staff, the differing organisation of the blood test procedure, the need to make the hospital environment less aseptic and more humanistic, effective actions to counter the anxieties relating to the administration of the blood test and the importance of including the blood test with an inter-disciplinarity perspective.

Qualitative study on the causes and consequences of compassion fatigue from the perspective of nurses

Compassion is one of the core elements of nursing care. Continued exposure to patient pain and suffering puts nurses at risk of developing compassion fatigue. The aim of this study was to understand the causes and consequences of compassion fatigue from the perspective of nurses. To this end, a qualitative design based on the hermeneutic phenomenology paradigm was used. Five focus group sessions were held with 43 nursing professionals. Two themes and six sub-themes emerged from the analysis of their discourses in relation to the impact of compassion fatigue on nurses. Based on the results obtained, the causes perceived as generating compassion fatigue are the lack of time and resources to provide comprehensive nursing care. The consequences identified were difficulties in carrying out their work, repercussions on family and private life, anxiety, stress, and, in some cases, the desire to quit the profession. This study concluded that healthcare organizations are key to fostering compassionate care and that cultivating compassion is necessary to prevent compassion fatigue.

Effect of Anxiety on Empathy: An Observational Study Among Nurses

Empathy, defined as an emotional ability to put oneself in the place of others, read their state of mind, and think how they are feeling, is an essential pillar of nursing care. On the other hand, anxiety is a frequent emotion that can be generated in stressful work environments, like nurses developing their activity. The aim of the present study is to explore the value of empathy and anxiety personal traits in staff nurses. The sample was comprised of 197 staff nurses from tertiary level hospitals from Madrid, Spain, where 79.2% were women and 20.8% were men in the present study. The instrument used for analysis was the Spanish adaptation of the 16PF5 questionnaire. The results showed the following measurements to warmth (5.58), lively (5.25), socially bold (5.6), privacy (5.82), open to change (5.62), self-reliance (6.12), and anxiety (6.38). Furthermore, anxiety affects positively to warmth (t: 2.66; p > 0.0001) and lively (t = 2.36; p < 0.05), but in a negative way to social bold (t = −3.17; p < 0.001) or open to change (t = −5.81; p < 0.0001). However, it was not seen to have any effect over privacy (t = 1.96; p = 0.052) and self-reliance (t = 1.19; p = 0.234). Finally, it is recommended that healthcare professionals reinforce their personal competencies to strengthen their skills to manage anxiety and improve their empathy competencies.