The Relationship Between Grit and Empathy Among Nurses Working in Medical-Surgical Wards

Empathy and grit are key constructs associated with the quality of nursing care and professional performance; however, their reciprocal relationship has been less frequently examined in clinical settings. This study aimed to determine the association between grit and empathy among nurses working in medical-surgical wards of teaching hospitals in Khorramabad, Iran. In this descriptive-correlational study, ۲۶۳ nurses were recruited through census sampling based on inclusion criteria. Data were collected using the Short Grit Scale and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. Statistical analyses were performed in Stata version ۱۷ using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multivariate regression tests. Empathy showed a significant positive correlation with grit (r = ۰.۲۶۶, p < ۰.۰۰۱). Among the grit dimensions, perseverance of effort (r = ۰.۲۵۰, p < ۰.۰۰۱) showed a stronger correlation with empathy than consistency of interest (r = ۰.۱۳۳, p = ۰.۰۳۱). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that grit (β = ۰.۴۳۶, p = ۰.۰۰۵), sex (β = ۳.۹۱۶, p = ۰.۰۴۹), and interest in the nursing profession (β = ۴.۷۶۳, p = ۰.۰۱۰) were significant predictors of empathy. In conclusion, nursing managers are advised to consider strategies that foster intrinsic motivation, such as culturally grounded educational approaches and targeted interventions, to enhance grit and empathy during recruitment and training.

کلیدواژه ها:

grit ، Empathy ، Nurses