Long-Term Care, Long-term Care Facility
Conditions
Keywords
Virtual Reality, Randomized Controlled Trial, Nursing Assistants, Empathy-Based Program, Debriefing
Brief summary
This randomized controlled trial aims to explore the impact of an Empathy-Based Program on the level of empathy among nursing assistants in a long-term care facility. A total of 100 participants will be divided into two groups: a virtual reality (VR) with debriefing group, and a control group (C) receiving routine care. The intervention involves a weekly 5-minute VR session featuring immersive experiences of residents' lives within the facility, followed by a 25-minute debriefing discussion in small groups of 5\ 6 participants. This will continue for three weeks. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of the empathy program in enhancing nursing assistants' empathy levels, with data collection occurring at three time points: baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up.
Detailed description
This study aims to investigate whether an Empathy-Based Program can enhance the level of empathy among nursing assistants working in long-term care facilities. The trial will include 100 participants who will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: a virtual reality (VR) with debriefing group, and a control group (C) receiving routine care. The intervention consists of a 30-minute session once a week for three weeks, comprising a 5-minute virtual scenario video followed by a 25-minute small-group debriefing session with 5 to 6 participants. The primary objective of the study is to assess the impact of the Empathy-Based Program on participants' empathy levels, empathic behaviors, and attitudes toward older adults. Data will be collected at multiple time points throughout the intervention, and statistical analyses will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the empathy-based sessions.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALVirtual Reality (VR) with Debriefing
Participants will receive a weekly 5-minute VR session featuring immersive experiences of residents' lives within the facility, followed by a 25-minute debriefing discussion in small groups of 5\~6 participants. This will continue for three weeks.
Sponsors
Taipei Medical University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
The outcomes assessors were masked to group assignments to reduce assessment bias. No other parties were masked.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Participants must meet all of the following criteria: 1. Possess a valid nursing assistant license 2. Aged 20 years or older 3. Have worked at a long-term care institution for more than 3 months 4. Able to read and understand written Chinese
Exclusion criteria
* Employed as a part-time nursing assistant
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Empathy Level | Baseline (pre-intervention), end of intervention (week 3), and follow-up at one month post-intervention (week 7) | Empathy level was measured using the full, unabbreviated Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Version (JSE-HP), which constructs and assesses the multi-dimensional empathy levels of healthcare professionals (including perspective taking, compassionate care, and standing in patient's shoes). The JSE-HP consists of 20 items answered on a 7-point Likert scale. The total score ranges from a minimum of 20 to a maximum of 140. A higher total score indicates a greater level of empathy (a better outcome), whereas a lower total score represents a worse outcome. Individual subscale scores were combined by summation to compute the final total score. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Attitudes Toward Older People | Baseline (pre-intervention), end of intervention (week 3), and follow-up at one month post-intervention (week 7) | Attitudes toward older adults were measured using the full, unabbreviated Kogan's Attitudes Toward Older People Scale (KAOP), which constructs and assesses the positive and negative sentiments toward elderly populations. The KAOP consists of 34 items answered on a 6-point Likert scale. The total score ranges from a minimum of 34 to a maximum of 204. A higher total score indicates a more positive attitude toward older adults (a better outcome), whereas a lower total score represents a more negative attitude (a worse outcome) |
| Empathic Behavior | Baseline (pre-intervention), end of intervention (week 3), and follow-up at one month post-intervention (week 7) | Empathic behavior was measured using a Structured Empathic Behavior Rating Scale, which constructs and evaluates observable empathic behaviors exhibited by nursing assistants during direct resident caregiving interactions. The scale utilizes a standardized checklist to rate specific behavioral interactions. The total score ranges from a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 84. A higher total score indicates a higher frequency or better quality of demonstrated empathic behaviors (a better outcome), while a lower score represents fewer or poorer empathic behaviors. |
Countries
Taiwan
Participant flow
Recruitment details
Participants were recruited from long-term care institutions in Taiwan. Six institutions were invited, four agreed to participate and provided institutional consent. A total of 109 individuals were assessed for eligibility, and 103 participants provided written informed consent prior to group assignment.
Pre-assignment details
Of the 109 individuals assessed for eligibility, six were excluded prior to assignment due to not meeting inclusion criteria (n=2), declining participation (n=3), or taking extended leave (n=1). A total of 103 participants were enrolled and assigned to study groups.
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | — |
|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 59.06 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.67 |
| Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Version (JSE-HP) Score at Baseline | 100.83 Score STANDARD_DEVIATION 14 |
| Race and Ethnicity Not Collected | 0 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 42 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 8 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 50 | 0 / 53 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 50 | 0 / 53 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 50 | 0 / 53 |
Outcome results
None listed