The Effect of Knowledge Brokering on Cardiac Nurses' Empathy with Their Patients: A Field Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Abstract Background Previous reports have suggested a relationship between empathetic behaviors and a reduction in cardiovascular events. However, evidence has also revealed a lack of empathy among nurses. Therefore, interventions are necessary to improve empathy among cardiac nurses. Purpose The objective of this study was to determine the effect of knowledge brokering on the empathy of cardiac nurses with their patients. Methods This field randomized controlled trial involved a total of 100 cardiac nurses who were divided into two groups: control and intervention. Participants were assigned to these groups using stratified random allocation. In the intervention group, knowledge brokering was conducted using Dobbin's seven-stage method. Data was collected using the Empathy Construct Rating Scale (ECRS), which provides an overall score ranging from +252 (well-developed empathy) to -252 (lack of empathy). The collected data was then analyzed using SPSS version 21, with a significance level set at < .05. The independent-samples t-test was used to compare mean empathy scores before the intervention, while the paired-samples t-test and the generalized linear model with an identity link function were utilized for within- and between-group comparisons after the intervention, respectively. Results The mean empathy change score (MECS) ± standard deviation was 22.90 ± 50.93 in the intervention group (p = .003) and 7.10 ± 60.20 in the control group (p = .408). The MECS between the study groups was compared based on the baseline empathy score (BES) (<100, ≥100). This comparison revealed that in nurses with BES ≥100, the adjusted MECS in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (11.44 units versus -15.42 units). Conversely, in nurses with BES <100, the adjusted MECS in the intervention group was lower than the control group (52.36 units versus 65.00 units). Conclusions The findings of this study indicate that the effectiveness of knowledge brokering in translating empathy knowledge depends on the BES of nurses. The utilization of this intervention can enhance empathetic behaviors in cardiac nurses with a BES ≥100. This empirical study contributes to a better understanding of knowledge brokering as a novel intervention.