The Effect of the Reflective Practices

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of reflective practices on nursing students' empathy and compassion levels.

Hypothesis H1-1: Reflective practices affect nursing students' empathy level. H1-2: Reflective practices affect nursing students' compassion level.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Empathy Compassion Nursing Student

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Akdeniz University

Antalya, 07070, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

Voluntary participation in the study
Enrollment in the "Fundamentals of Nursing-II" course
Taking the course for the first time
Not having previously received training in reflective practice
Being registered in Class B

Exclusion criteria

Refusal to participate in the study at any stage of the study process
Failure to fully complete the data collection forms

Treatment and study plan

Reflective practices

Behavioral

The intervention was implemented as part of a nursing course consisting of 4 hours of theoretical instruction, 4 hours of laboratory practice, and 8 hours of clinical practice. For 14 weeks, reflective practice was integrated into both the laboratory and clinical components. In the laboratory sessions, clinical scenarios were developed based on five common topics (e.g., infection control, vital signs) that students are likely to encounter during clinical practice. Students performed these scenarios by taking on different roles. Following each role-play, structured reflection sessions were conducted with the students. In the clinical setting, the final hour of each practice day was allocated for reflection. After completing an online reflection form, students had the opportunity to engage in group discussions if they wished to reflect further.

Primary outcomes

Empathy

Time frame: Data were collected at two different time points: At recruitment (T0) and in the 14th week (T1)

The Jefferson Scale of Empathy for Nursing Students was designed to measure empathy levels in nursing students. The Turkish adaptation consists of 18 items across the same three sub-dimensions. The scale is based on a 7-point Likert-type format (1 = Strongly disagree to 7 = Strongly agree), yielding a total score ranging from 18 to 126. Higher total scores reflect greater levels of empathy.
Compassion

Time frame: Data were collected at two different time points: At recruitment (T0) and in the 14th week (T1)

The Compassion Scale comprises 24 items and six subscales: kindness, indifference, common humanity, separation, mindfulness, and disengagement. The subscales of indifference, disengagement, and separation are reverse-scored prior to calculating the overall compassion score. Total scores range from 24 to 120, with higher scores indicating higher levels of compassion.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Akdeniz University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of the Reflective Practices on Nursing Students' Empathy and Compassion Levels: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2024
Study completion: 2024
First posted: Aug 5, 2025
Registry last updated: Aug 14, 2025

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.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed