Skip to main content

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Med.
Sec. Healthcare Professions Education
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1479466
This article is part of the Research Topic The Formal and Informal Workforce for a Global Aging Population View all articles

The Effects of Community-Based Education Programs on Empathy, Emotional Intelligence, and Caring Behaviors among Nursing Students: A Scoping Review

Provisionally accepted
Ma Jing Ma Jing 1,2Pinglei Chui Pinglei Chui 1*Mei Chan Chong Mei Chan Chong 1Tang Maoting Tang Maoting 1
  • 1 University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 2 Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Community-based learning approaches are gaining recognition in nursing education as a means to address the needs of aging societies by fostering empathy, emotional intelligence, and caring behaviors among nursing students. These attributes are essential for enhancing the quality of care and building strong interpersonal connections with older adults. While community-based education programs offer promising benefits, there is still limited understanding of their impact on nursing students' empathy, emotional intelligence, and caring behaviors. This scoping review aims to examine how community-based educational interventions can assist nursing students in developing these essential competencies, ultimately contributing to better outcomes in geriatric care. Method: A scoping review was conducted following the framework of Arksey and O'Malley (2005). The following electronic databases were searched: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, Web of Science, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Gray literature was also searched through Google Scholar and ProQuest.Studies included reports on nursing students' emotional changes due to educational engagements with older adults.Results: A total of 3,001 abstracts were screened, with 78 full texts reviewed, resulting in 9 studies being included in the analysis. The results demonstrate that interactions with older adults enhance nursing students' empathy and emotional intelligence while fostering positive changes in their caring behaviors. Participants reported greater sensitivity to the feelings and physical discomforts of older adults, contributing to improved care and stronger relational dynamics.Discussion: Community-based education programs involving older adults represent an effective strategy for enhancing nursing students' empathy, emotional intelligence, and caring behaviors, suggesting valuable implications for nursing education methodologies.

    Keywords: nursing students, Empathy, Emotional Intelligence, Caring behavior, community-based education

    Received: 14 Oct 2024; Accepted: 28 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Jing, Chui, Chong and Maoting. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Pinglei Chui, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.