Effect of Empathy-Based Program on Nursing Assistants in Long-term Care Facilities

NCT07044492 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: N202203004
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 103
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

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.

Conditions

Long-Term Care; Long-term Care Facility

Keywords

Virtual Reality; Randomized Controlled Trial; Nursing Assistants; Empathy-Based Program; Debriefing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Empathy Level

  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.

  Baseline (pre-intervention), end of intervention (week 3), and follow-up at one month post-intervention (week 7)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Attitudes Toward Older People

  Baseline (pre-intervention), end of intervention (week 3), and follow-up at one month post-intervention (week 7)

• Empathic Behavior

  Baseline (pre-intervention), end of intervention (week 3), and follow-up at one month post-intervention (week 7)

Study Arms (2)

virtual reality (VR) with debriefing Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will engage with immersive virtual reality (VR) with debriefing.

Behavioral: Virtual Reality (VR) with Debriefing

Control Group (C)

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this group will continue their usual care routine without additional exposure to virtual.

Interventions

Virtual Reality (VR) with Debriefing BEHAVIORAL

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.

virtual reality (VR) with debriefing Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Participants must meet all of the following criteria:
• Possess a valid nursing assistant license
• Aged 20 years or older
• Have worked at a long-term care institution for more than 3 months
• Able to read and understand written Chinese

You may not qualify if:

• Employed as a part-time nursing assistant

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Taipei Medical University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Taipei Medical University

Taipei, None Selected, 11031, Taiwan

Location

Limitations and Caveats

Several limitations should be considered when interpreting the study results. First, the study was conducted in a limited number of long-term care institutions in Taiwan, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other settings or populations. Second, outcomes were primarily measured using self-reported instruments, which may be subject to response bias. Third, the follow-up period was relatively short, and longer-term effects of the intervention could not be assessed. Finally, bli

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Principal Investigator (PI)
• Organization: Taipei Medical University

yeuhui@tmu.edu.tw

02-2736-1661

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The outcomes assessors were masked to group assignments to reduce assessment bias. No other parties were masked.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 23, 2025
• First Posted: July 1, 2025
• Study Start: November 10, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion: December 31, 2025
• Last Updated: June 16, 2026
• Results First Posted: February 25, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TW (1)