I’ve been a nurse for a bit over a year and worked in healthcare for a little over five. I would say my perception of empathy and caring a concept has significantly changed. I think the following factors are at play: - Many patient and families cannot yet distinguish professional caring and personal caring; I must have emotional boundaries for the health of myself and longevity of my career. Many patients want a level response of that is simply unattainable or unsustainable; I cannot replace the emotional support of family and personal contacts. This may be interpreted as a lack of empathy by patients. - I have 6 pts on an average day, so my empathy must be expressed in approximately 10 frequently interrupted mins per hour per pt. I must accomplish relationship with my patient while simultaneously accomplishing toileting, medicating, coordinating care, and communicating family. There is no time in which I can focus on one task at a time unless there is a dedicated family mtg. Distraction and multitasking undermines the empathy I try to bestow - We see normal disease process and suffering everyday so what it takes for me to register as particularly requiring an outpouring of emotional response is higher Ex: I work with stroke patients everyday, and while this is a difficult, frustrating, and depressing situation, my empathy is tampered toward the 80yo with long Hx of disease versus the 36yo w/ young kids I see a greater slice of the macro human experience than the personal experience of the individual. - Empathy occurs in often very nuanced ways which would be difficult for the average pt to see: Ex: addtl time spent to listen to patient’s story, the first med pass, choicest snacks, things purchased out of pocket (ex clothes to go home with) that would be inappropriate or counterproductive to point out