Effectiveness of Narrative Photography in Increasing Nursing Students’ Empathy: A Pretest-Posttest Study

Abstract

Background: Narrative photography is a method that can enhance nursing students’ empathy when caring for individuals with HIV. Method: This quasiexperimental pretest-posttest study included 28 first-year nursing students from a public university in Barcelona, Spain. Empathy was assessed using the Spanish validated version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Results: Empathy scores were higher in the intervention group (p = .01). Women scored higher on empathy and also on the fantasy, empathic concern, and personal distress dimensions. A significant relationship was found between the perspective taking dimension and students choosing nursing as their first option at university. Having no experience in the health field was associated with higher scores on the empathic concern dimension (p = .027). Conclusion: Narrative photography is an effective learning method to promote nursing students’ empathy when caring for individuals with HIV. © 2023 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.