The Prediction of Nursing Students' Pediatric Pain Awareness Based on Levels of Child Liking and Basic Empathy

Abstract

Problem Effective management of pediatric pain, a common issue faced by pediatric nurses, requires structured and comprehensive nursing education. Nurses' abilities, such as child-liking attitudes and basic empathy, play a critical role in recognizing and managing pain. This study aimed to predict nursing students' pain awareness based on their levels of child liking and basic empathy after completing the Child Health and Diseases Nursing course. Methods This descriptive and correlational study included 90 third-year nursing students from a university in Turkey. Data were collected using a sociodemographic data form, the Barnett Child liking Scale, the Basic Empathy Scale, and the Pain Awareness Subdimension of the Pediatric Pain Management Scale for Nursing Students. Findings The students scored 80.44 +/- 12.622 on the Child Liking Scale, 60.56 +/- 4.557 on the Basic Empathy Scale, and 24.96 +/- 2.263 on the Pediatric Pain Awareness subdimension. The PLS-SEM model revealed that child liking, and basic empathy positively and significantly influenced pain awareness (p < 0.01). Conclusions Nursing students demonstrated high levels of child-liking and pediatric pain awareness, with moderate empathy levels. Child-liking and empathy skills predict pain awareness, emphasizing the need for targeted professional development for nursing students aspiring to specialize in pediatric nursing.