Test 1 Empathy

Question 1

Define empathy.

Answer 1

The ability to perceive and understand a patient’s feelings and communicate this effectively

Question 2

Differentiate among the 3 domains of empathy.

Answer 2

• Cognitive
• Emotional
• Behavioral

Question 3

Compare and contrast sympathy and empathy.

Answer 3

• empathy: know how a person feels and feel with them

- sympathy: feeling compassion, sorrow, or pity for a person

Question 4

Analyze the 2 primary functions of empathy.

Answer 4

• Establish rapport between provider and patient

- Improves the exchange of communication

Question 5

judging

Answer 5

• Tendency to judge or evaluate a person’s feelings
• May tell patients they should or shouldn’t feel a certain way
• Indicates that the patient’s feelings are right or wrong

Question 6

advising

Answer 6

• Pharmacists are used to giving advice in healthcare and naturally do the same for emotional issues
• Often presumptuous to believe a quick fix is possible
• Patients may become dependent, believing their problems can be solved by someone else
• Can instead point the patient in the right direction

Question 7

placating

Answer 7

• False reassurance
• Try to help the patient feel better, rather than help them deal with their feelings
• Pharmacists may feel helpless and try to protect themselves from becoming emotionally involved
• Patients given hope of a positive outcome that may not come true

Question 8

generalizing

Answer 8

• “I went through it and it all turned out okay,” or “everyone deals with that eventually.”
• Takes the focus away from the patient’s experience
• Patient unable to voice their specific concerns
• Provider may stop listening, believing they already understand everything
• Patient can feel unimportant, undervalued

Question 9

probing

Answer 9

• Provides the expectation that if enough information is gathered, the problem can be solved
• Pharmacists are used to asking questions to get the full picture
• Asking additional questions can change the focus of the patient’s needs
• Patients sometimes just need to express feelings and feel understood

Question 10

distracting

Answer 10

• Change the subject

- Patient feels as if their feelings were neither heard nor important

Question 11

understanding

Answer 11

• Indicates to the patient that you’re listening and following along
• First step to providing an empathetic response

Question 12

NURS

Answer 12

• Name the emotion the patient is expressing
• Understanding response
• Respect the patient and his/her feelings
• Support the patient

Question 13

Describe 5 barriers to being empathetic to a patient.

Answer 13

• time
• stereotypes
• depersonalization
• controlling the situation
• taking on too many feelings or others’ needs too internally

Question 14

What does establishing rapport between provider and patient establish?

Answer 14

• increases trust

- patient feels cared for

Question 15

What happens when exchange of communication is improved?

Answer 15

• patient feels understood
• feelings are validated
• provider can name feelings that the patient may be struggling with