Asian Oncol Nurs.  2024 Jun;24(2):94-101. 10.5388/aon.2024.24.2.94.

Relationship between Communication Competence, Empathy and Geriatric Nursing Practice of Nurses Caring for Elderly Cancer Patients at a General Hospital: Focusing on Veterans Hospital

• Park ES
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2557654
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2024.24.2.94

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between communication competence, empathy, and geriatric nursing practice of nurses caring for elderly cancer patients and to provide evidence supporting the practice of geriatric nursing.
Methods
This study was conducted on 149 nurses who had more than six months of nursing experience caring for cancer patients aged 65 or older at veterans hospital, a general hospital in Seoul, Korea. Communication competence, empathy, and geriatric nursing practice were measured using a self-reported questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 27.0 program.
Results
The mean of communication competence was 3.77±0.46 out of 5, empathy was 3.96±0.42 out of 5, and geriatric nursing practice was 3.40±0.35 out of 4. The participants’ geriatric nursing practice showed a significant positive correlation with communication competence (r=.39, p<.001), and empathy (r=.47, p<.001).
Conclusion
To improve the geriatric nursing practice of nurses caring for elderly cancer patients, it would be necessary to develop an effective program and apply interventions to improve communication competence and empathy for elderly cancer patients.

Keyword

Aged; Communication; Empathy; Geriatric nursing; Neoplasms