Abstract
Empathy is a fundamental quality in healthcare; therefore, educational facilities are using a wide range of simulation experiences in an attempt to enhance health professional students' empathy. For this to be successful, there must be an understanding of what it is that makes the learning experience effective. This review explores students' perceptions of empathy education, by synthesizing data to make sense of the core elements of empathy education.
Review methods: The integrative review methodology (Whitmore and Knafl, 2005) guided the search of data through CINAHL, Ovid, and Medline databases to address the aim of the review, which asks; What are pre-registration health professional's views of the core elements in empathy education?
Findings: Data extraction and thematic analysis was applied to the 13 articles that made it through inclusion and quality criteria. examination of this data identified four key elements, the first being unique immersive experiences', the second imagining the other through personal experience', the third space for strong emotions and lastly space for self-reflection
Conclusions: It appears that the core elements to empathy education are a set of concepts that fit together and create a process that can be followed. This involves supporting students to imagine emotions of another by creating a unique immersive learning experience, that allows students to imagine the other through their own personal experiences, accommodating strong emotions to be felt and expressed, and allowing time for students to make sense of the experience by discussing how they can translate their learning to practice through self-reflection. Educators should be aware of the significance of understanding the value in planning the experience, while being prepared to allow time for powerful emotions to be felt creating a safe environment that allows students time to reflect on the experience by discussing and sharing their thoughts and ideas.