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NCT Number: NCT07340086

Mobilization of Emotions and Empathy During Communication Training in Nursing Students

Effective communication in healthcare is vital for patient satisfaction, safety, outcomes, and ethical practice, supporting shared decision-making and informed consent. Simulation-based training is widely used to strengthen communication skills and foster empathy through emotionally engaging experiences.

This is a pilot study aimed (1) to assess changes in emotional state and empathy in nursing students after a simulation-based workshop (SBW) on delivering bad news, and (2) to evaluate the sensitivity of standardized scales in detecting these changes.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Education Nursing Communication Skills Empathy Ethics Education Simulation Based Learning

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina

About this study

In this observational, longitudinal study, fourth-year nursing students (Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina - Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Buenos Aires) attended a curricular six-hour SBW divided into three sessions. In Session 1, students discussed the SPIKE protocol for communication of bad news, and a clinical case, completing a baseline Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). In Session 2, students performed role-plays with simulated patients (SPs), immediately after which the students registered their emotional reflections (ER), completing the Jefferson Scale of Empathy for Health Professionals (JSE-HP), the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE) adapted for nursing communication and repeated PANAS; instructors and SPs also completed JSPPPE. In Session 3, students participated in debriefing and repeated ER, JSE-HP and JSPPPE.

PANAS is a mood scale with 20 items, 10 positive (PA) and 10 negative (NA). High PA means "enthusiastic and motivated"; low PA means "lethargic and sad." High NA means "angry and disgusted"; low NA means "calm and serene." JSE-HP is a 20-item empathy scale for healthcare settings. It measures how well a healthcare professional understands and communicates a patient's perspective. The 7-point Likert scale ranges from 20 to 140.

JSPPE is a 5-item patient-completed empathy scale for healthcare professionals. It uses a 1-to-7 Likert scale to assess understanding, concern, and perspective-taking. Max score: 35 points.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Nursing students of the 4th year

Exclusion criteria

  • None

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes of emotions after the simulation-based workshop on communication of bad news

    Time frame: The PANAS score was completed after sessions 1 (baseline, day 0), 2 (simulation, 1 week after day 0), and 3 (debriefing, 2 weeks after day 0). Baseline day: August 1, 2025. Session 2: August 8, 2025. Session 3: August 15, 2025.

    Questionnaires from the PANAS were completed by the participants.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes of empathy during a simulation-based workshop on communication of bad news measured by Jefferson Scale of Empathy.

    Time frame: Students completed the JSE questionnaire after sessions two and three of the three-stage, simulation-based workshop on communicating bad news. Session two took place on August 8, 2025, and session three took place on August 15, 2025.

    Participants recorded their changes by filling out the Health Professions Version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), which was adapted for nursing communication.

  2. Changes of perceived empathy after participating in a simulation-based workshop on communication of bad news measured by Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy

    Time frame: Complete the JSPPPE after sessions two and three, or the simulation and debriefing days (August 8 and 15, 2025), of the three-stage, simulation-based workshop on communicating bad news.

    Self-perceived empathy was scored during the communication of bad news using the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE).

Other outcomes

  1. Changes in self-perceived emotions while executing the simulation-based workshop on communication of bad news

    Time frame: Records were taken after Session 2 (Simulation Day, August 8, 2025) and Session 3 (Debriefing Day, August 15, 2025).

    Participants recorded their self-perceived emotions (emotional reflections) by writing about their feelings, emotions, and sensations in a logbook.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Padova

Other

Collaborators

  • Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina

Registry information

Official study title

Assessment of Emotional and Empathic Involvement During Simulation-Based Communication Training in Nursing Students

Acronym: AEI-Sim

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jan 14, 2026
Registry last updated
Jan 21, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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