Papers by Jolanda van Dijke
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 2014
The concept of &a... more The concept of 'presence' appears frequently in the literature and seems to be a highly relevant concept in discussing and evaluating quality of relations in healthcare practices. However, no existing self-report measure of presence for health professionals was found. The purpose of this study was (i) to develop a self-report questionnaire for measuring presence and (ii) to conduct initial psychometric testing of the questionnaire. The process followed two steps. Phase 1 consisted of the development of 64 items that were derived from the 'theory of presence' (ToP) as developed by Andries Baart in the Netherlands in 2001. Face and content validity were completed by a panel of experts in ToP. A pilot study to test understandability was done (N = 22). During Phase 2, 48 remaining items of the Presence Questionnaire for Caregivers (PQ-C) were tested among 723 healthcare professionals. Exploratory principal component analysis was conducted, and reliability coefficients and known-group validity were assessed. Principal component analysis showed three new components that were labelled 'dedicated attitude', 'openness in perception' and 'reciprocal humaneness'. Thirty-one items were retained which explain 25.4% of the variance. An initial psychometric assessment of the shortened scale showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.82 and a Spearman-Brown coefficient (for equal length) of 0.63. There were significant differences in sum scores between groups based on age, years of experience and familiarity with ToP. It appeared possible to develop a self-report questionnaire for measuring presence and establish face and content validity. In initial exploratory factor analysis, the eight theoretical principles of ToP used to develop the questionnaire were not reflected, and three new components appeared. Further research is needed to examine the value of the three new dimensions, and investigation into the construct validity and reliability of the three new components is recommended.
Nursing Philosophy, 2020
2007). Nursing and healthcare literature have paid vast attention to empathy in its functions to ... more 2007). Nursing and healthcare literature have paid vast attention to empathy in its functions to provide knowledge and enable relationality. One of the aims of professional caring relationships is to accurately perceive patients' needs and concerns from their point of view (Reynolds & Scott, 2000). Through empathy, caregivers learn what is at stake for their patients and what their situation means to them (Vanlaere, Timmermann, Stevens, & Gastmans, 2012). These insights help to attune care to their patients' needs and individuality. Expressing empathic understanding makes patients feel valued and recognized, which promotes trust and strengthens the caring relationship (Wiseman, 2007).
Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling, 2022
This paper investigates the functions, downsides, and limitations of empathy in chaplaincy care. ... more This paper investigates the functions, downsides, and limitations of empathy in chaplaincy care. Data were collected from 20 humanist chaplains working in health care, prison, and military settings using semi-structured interviews. According to the participants, empathy is at the heart of their profession but has disadvantages as well. The analysis yields seven major functions of empathy with corresponding downsides and limitations: (1) to connect, (2) to understand, (3) to guide, (4) to acknowledge, (5) to motivate, (6) to inspire, and (7) to humanize. We argue for a need to "talk about empathy" since despite its importance and challenges, there is little professional and academic discussion about empathy in chaplaincy care. We hope that the findings of this study can function as starting points for the discussion and thus contribute to the ongoing professionalization of chaplaincy care. To that end, we propose three topics for further reflection and conversation.
Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling: Advancing theory and professional practice through scholarly and reflective publications
This paper investigates the functions, downsides, and limitations of empathy in chaplaincy care. ... more This paper investigates the functions, downsides, and limitations of empathy in chaplaincy care. Data were collected from 20 humanist chaplains working in health care, prison, and military settings using semi-structured interviews. According to the participants, empathy is at the heart of their profession but has disadvantages as well. The analysis yields seven major functions of empathy with corresponding downsides and limitations: (1) to connect, (2) to understand, (3) to guide, (4) to acknowledge, (5) to motivate, (6) to inspire, and (7) to humanize. We argue for a need to “talk about empathy” since despite its importance and challenges, there is little professional and academic discussion about empathy in chaplaincy care. We hope that the findings of this study can function as starting points for the discussion and thus contribute to the ongoing professionalization of chaplaincy care. To that end, we propose three topics for further reflection and conversation.
Nursing Philosophy, 2020
Empathy is a fundamental concept in health care and nursing. In academic literature, it has been ... more Empathy is a fundamental concept in health care and nursing. In academic literature, it has been primarily defined as a personal ability, act or experience. The relational dimensions of empathy have received far less attention. In our view, individualistic conceptualizations are restricted and do not adequately reflect the practice of empathy in daily care. We argue that a relational conceptualization of empathy contributes to a more realistic, nuanced and deeper understanding of the functions and limitations of empathy in professional care practices. In this article, we explore the relational aspects of empathy, drawing on sources that offer a relational approach, such as the field of care ethics, the phenomenology of Edith Stein and qualitative research into interpersonal and interactive empathy. We analyse the relational aspects of three prevalent components of empathy definitions: the underlying ability or act (i.e. the cognitive, affective and perception abilities that enable empathy); the resulting experience (i.e. empathic understanding and affective responsivity) and the expression of this experience (i.e. empathic expression). Ultimately, we propose four inter-related understandings of empathy: (a) A co-creative practice based on the abilities and activities of both the empathizer and the empathee; (b) A fundamentally other-oriented experience; (c) A dynamic, interactive process in which empathizer and empathee influence each other's experiences; (d) A quality of relationships.
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Papers by Jolanda van Dijke