154
Aylin Yalçın Irmak & Meryem Metinoğlu
Abstract
The research was carried out as non-randomized parallel controlled trial in order to determine the
effect of case-based role play activities on the level of empathic tendency of nursing students. 44
students taking drama classes constituted the intervention group, whereas 165 students who did
not take these classes constituted the control group. Students in the intervention group were given
theoretical lectures on drama, empathy, communication skills and role play for six weeks and for the
rest eight weeks, they were given disease/case-based role play as group study activities (28 hours in
total). Data was collected internet-based using Personal İnformation Forms and Emphatic Tendency
Scale (ETS). Percentage, standard deviation, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis
of variance were used for data analysis. 52.2% of students involved in the study were at the age of
21 and above, 76.4% of them were women, and 78% of them were members of nuclear families.
There was no difference among the ETS score averages of the intervention group and the control
group (p=.614). ETS score average of all students was found out to be 68.10±6.23. ETS score av-
erages according to their years of study was 68.18±6.32 for the first year students, 68.01±6.15 for
the second year students, 68.05±6.18 for the third year students, and 68.56±7.02 for the fourth year
students. Difference among ETS score averages according to year of study (p=.996), age (p=.519)
and family structure (p=.851) was not found out to be significant. The emphatic tendency was found
out to be statistically significant in female students as 68.50±6.03 compared to male similarly it was
determined to be high in students who chose this profession due to the desire for helping people
compared to the others. In conclusion, the emphatic tendency of nursing students was determined
to be at moderate level, and there was no difference as the year of study increased. It was also found
out that case-based role play activities and no effect on the emphatic tendency level of students. It
was found out that the emphatic tendency level of female students and also of those who chose the
profession of nursing due to the desire for helping others was higher.
Keywords:
Empathy, Nursing, Emphatic Tendency, Emphatic Skill, Role Play Activities
Giriş
İnsan ilişkileri ve iletişimin temel kavramlarından biri olan empati, kişinin kendisini kar-
şısındaki kişinin yerine koyması, onun kendine özgü dünyasını, duygu ve düşüncelerini
tam olarak anlayıp ifade etmesi olarak tanımlanmıştır (Dökmen, 1994, s.134-175). Staub
(1987) empatinin bilişsel ve duygusal olmak üzere iki boyutunu vurgulamaktadır. Bilişsel
boyut; bir olaydan ya da durumdan karşıdakinin nasıl hissedebileceğini anlamak, bu his-
lerin farkında olmaktır. Duygusal boyut ise deneyim yaşayan kişinin duygularını hisset-
mek ve bunu karşı tarafa yansıtmaktır (Staub, 1987, s. 195-217). Dökmen (1994) de çok
boyutlu yaklaşımı desteklemiş ve bu kavramın empatik eğilim ve empatik beceri olmak
üzere iki yönünden söz etmiştir. Empatik beceri, bireyin empati kurabilme kabiliyetini be-
lirtmektedir. Empatinin duygusal boyutunu oluşturan empatik eğilim ise bireyin empati
yapma potansiyelini göstermektedir (Dökmen, 1994, s.134-175; Mete ve Gerçek 2005, s.
11-17). Özetle Staub (1987) insanın doğumundan itibaren bilişsel olarak çevresindekilerin
duygularını algılayıp, duygusal olarak tepkiler verdiğini ifade etmektedir (Staub, 1987, s.
195-217)
