Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Oct;23(19-20):2790-9.
doi: 10.1111/jocn.12537. Epub 2014 Jan 31.

How does it really feel to be in my shoes? Patients' experiences of compassion within nursing care and their perceptions of developing compassionate nurses

Louise Bramley  1 , Milika Matiti
Affiliations
Free PMC article

How does it really feel to be in my shoes? Patients' experiences of compassion within nursing care and their perceptions of developing compassionate nurses

Louise Bramley et al. J Clin Nurs. 2014 Oct.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To understand how patients experience compassion within nursing care and explore their perceptions of developing compassionate nurses.

Background: Compassion is a fundamental part of nursing care. Individually, nurses have a duty of care to show compassion; an absence can lead to patients feeling devalued and lacking in emotional support. Despite recent media attention, primary research around patients' experiences and perceptions of compassion in practice and its development in nursing care remains in short supply.

Design: A qualitative exploratory descriptive approach.

Methods: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 10 patients in a large teaching hospital in the United Kingdom. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic networks were used in analysis.

Results: Three overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) what is compassion: knowing me and giving me your time, (2) understanding the impact of compassion: how it feels in my shoes and (3) being more compassionate: communication and the essence of nursing.

Conclusion: Compassion from nursing staff is broadly aligned with actions of care, which can often take time. However, for some, this element of time needs only be fleeting to establish a compassionate connection. Despite recent calls for the increased focus compassion at all levels in nurse education and training, patient opinion was divided on whether it can be taught or remains a moral virtue. Gaining understanding of the impact of uncompassionate actions presents an opportunity to change both individual and cultural behaviours.

Relevance to clinical practice: It comes as a timely reminder that the smallest of nursing actions can convey compassion. Introducing vignettes of real-life situations from the lens of the patient to engage practitioners in collaborative learning in the context of compassionate nursing could offer opportunities for valuable and legitimate professional development.

Keywords: compassion; empathy; interviews; nursing care; patients' experience; patients' perceptions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Thematic network for global theme: ‘what is compassion: knowing me giving me your time’.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Astbury G. Communication. In: Mason T, editor; Mason-Whitehead EBA, editor. Key Concepts in Nursing. Los Angeles, CA: Sage; 2008. pp. 62–68.
    1. Attride-Stirling J. Thematic networks: an analytic tool for qualitative research. Qualitative Research. 2001;1:385–405.
    1. Burnell L. Compassionate care: a concept analysis. Home Health Care Management & Practice. 2009;21:319–324.
    1. Chamberlain K. Methodolatry and qualitative health research. Journal of Health Psychology. 2000;5:285–296. - PubMed
    1. Chambers C. Ryder E. Compassion and Caring in Nursing. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing; 2009.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources