Empathy is a basic principle of quality for healthcare professions, given that they are exposed to stressful and emotionally intense situations in the workplace, which makes them more vulnerable to problems of work-related stress and emotional exhaustion, which has led to alterations in their physical and emotional state.(1)

It is difficult for nurses to establish empathetic communication with patients in busy and stressful work environments, where opportunities to deal with patients are not optimal.(2)

The lack or low levels of empathy depend on several reasons involving the conditions surrounding the nurse; the most important are the number of healthcare users with whom this professional has to deal, the lack of adequate time due to the high workload, the therapeutic approach, the training culture in health faculties, and the lack of training in empathy.(2,3)

However, empathy is closely related to the nursing care process and has an important role to play in establishing a positive relationship between the nurse and the patient, as well as in providing favorable nursing care.(4) Nevertheless, nurses who demonstrate understanding of their patients' experiences of illness will see their relationship improve. Empathy is the essence of all nurse-patient interactions and should be seen as an important clinical indicator for providing high-quality nursing care.(5,6)

In addition to having positive consequences for the patient, empathy is associated with factors such as respect, social behavior, ethical reasoning, and a positive attitude toward patients, the ability to obtain a good medical history, and the promotion of clinical outcomes. Furthermore, the greater the nurse's capacity for empathy, the fewer medication errors, the greater the patient satisfaction, and the greater the adherence to treatment.(7,8)

Therefore, patients who encounter more empathetic behavior experience less anxiety, better self-concept, and less depression and hostility. Empathetic behaviors also have positive effects on nurses, including providing more effective care and experiencing less mental stress and job burnout. On the other hand, if empathy is low in a professional relationship with a patient, it can disrupt diagnosis, treatment, and patient care.(9,10)

In a study conducted in Iran with 112 nursing participants, the results showed that nursing professionals working in mental health, emergency, and intensive care units have high and medium levels of empathy. The study concluded that nursing professionals tend to have high levels of empathy when they interact closely with patients.(11)

In a study conducted in China with 539 participating nurses, the results showed that the participants had high levels of empathy and tended to experience low levels of work-related stress. The study concluded that being in constant communication and having strategies to reduce stress enabled nurses to provide adequate care to patients.(12)

In a study conducted in Spain with 338 nursing professionals, the results showed that 51 % of nursing professionals had high empathy for the humanized care they provided. The study concluded that cognitive empathy, emotional intelligence, and stress management improved nurses' mood and the quality of their care.(13)

Therefore, the research objective is to determine empathy in nursing professionals working in a clinic in Metropolitan Lima.

Figure 1. Empathy in nursing professionals in the services of a clinic in Metropolitan Lima

In figure 1, we can see that 26,5 % of nursing professionals have a low level of empathy, 24,5 % have a moderate-low level of empathy, 25,5 % have a moderate-high level of empathy, and 23,5 % have a high level of empathy.

Figure 2. Empathy in nursing professionals in terms of perspective-taking in the services of a clinic in Metropolitan Lima

In figure 2, we can see that, with regard to the perspective-taking dimension, 30,4 % of nursing professionals have a low level of empathy, 22,5 % have a moderately low level, 23,5 % have a moderately high level, and 23,5 % have a high level of empathy.

Figure 3. Empathy in nursing professionals in terms of compassionate care in a clinic in Metropolitan Lima

In figure 3, we can see that, with regard to the dimension of caring with compassion, 28,5 % of nursing professionals have a low level of empathy, 22,5 % have a moderately low level, 24,5 % have a moderately high level, and 24,5 % have a high level of empathy.

Figure 4. Empathy among nursing professionals in terms of their ability to empathize with patients at a clinic in Metropolitan Lima

In figure 4, we can see that, with regard to the dimension of ability to put oneself in the patient's place, 37,3 % of nursing professionals have a low level of empathy, 21,6 % have a moderately low level, 21,6 % have a moderately high level, and 19,6 % have a high level of empathy.

This research topic seeks to identify the relationship between nurses' empathy and patients, given that empathy improves the quality of patient care, making the nurse-patient relationship more meaningful and generating trust in the patient.

As for the level of empathy among nurses, a low level predominated. We interpret this as meaning that during the coronavirus pandemic, patient saturation and demand rates have affected the well-being of all healthcare professionals, especially nurses, given that environmental factors can influence the empathy of nursing professionals. However, understanding the role of empathy is particularly important in geographical contexts where professionals have to meet everyday social needs with limited resources, which creates greater stress for them, as is the case in many public health institutions in Latin American countries.

In terms of its dimensions, professionals have low empathy. We can interpret this as meaning that, given the difficult situation caused by the pandemic, the care to be provided due to the high demand from patients is compromised, although nurses who show high empathy generate empathic skills which, as a protective measure against physical and mental exhaustion resulting from the workload, Thanks to this process, personal relationships and communication with patients are not compromised. However, empathy during care in the midst of the pandemic has been of great help to nursing professionals, as empathic abilities improved learning and the ability to promote community skills in nurses, thus allowing for better patient care.

The results were obtained in the midst of the pandemic, where the number of patients treated and the extreme care situation to prevent infection must have influenced these results, in addition to separating patients from their families due to health safety measures.

It is concluded that continuous training should be provided to nursing professionals, as this will enable them to provide more humane and, in turn, higher quality care.

It is concluded that strategies should be sought to minimize work overload among nursing professionals so that they can improve the quality of patient care.