Abstract:

Objective To investigate the status of clinical communication ability of pediatric nurses and analyze the influence of professional identity and empathy on clinical communication ability. Methods From July to August 2021，798 pediatric nurses were recruited from a tertiary A children’s hospital in Henan Province by convenience sampling method. Nurse Clinical Communication Ability Scale，the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals，and Professional Identity Scale for Nurse were used for investigation. Results The total scores of clinical communication ability，professional identity and empathy of pediatric nurses were（97.43±10.92） points，（117.63±20.89） points，and （125.00±12.23） points，respectively. Correlation analysis showed that professional identity，empathy ability and clinical communication ability of pediatric nurses were significantly positively correlated（P<0.001）. The mediating effect analysis showed that empathic ability played a partial mediating role between professional identity and clinical communication ability，accounting for 46.73% of the total effect. Conclusion Clinical communication ability can be improved by improving professional identity and empathy ability of pediatric nurses. This study provides evidence for pediatric nursing managers to develop management strategies to further improve clinical communication ability of pediatric nurses.

Key words: Hospitals, Pediatric, Nurses, Empathy, Clinical communication skills, Professional identity