title: Psychometric properties of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professional Student's version: An Italian validation study with nursing students.
abstract: This methodological study was conducted to test the psychometric properties of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professional Student's version (JSE-HPS), in a convenience sample of 797 Italian nursing students and to describe their empathic engagement. Data were subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, test-retest, correlation analysis, t-test, and analysis of variance method. Principal component factor extraction with Oblimin rotation on the first half of the sample was conducted. The analysis suggested a three-factor solution for 14 items: "compassionate care/emotional engagement," "perspective-taking," and "standing in the patient's shoes." Confirmatory factor analysis on the second half of the sample showed good fit indexes for the 14-item solution, indicated by the exploratory factor analysis, and the 20 item solution of the scale, with the exception of one item. Test-retest correlation was 0.50 (P < 0.001) for the overall scale. Results from group comparisons and correlations are also provided and discussed. The Italian version of the JSE-HPS is a psychometrically sound tool. The translated 20-item solution is also suitable to carry out cross-cultural comparisons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy. paola.montanar1@alice.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montanari
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Petrucci
authors.affiliation: Youth & Society, Örebro University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland (UK).
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dimonte
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Loreto
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lancia
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods; D004645:Empathy; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011594:Psychometrics; D012737:Sex Factors; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Italy; Jefferson Scale of Empathy; empathy; instrument development; nursing students; undergraduate nursing