Fatemeh Zahra Karimi - Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Mahbubeh Abdollahi - Ph.D, Assistance professor, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
Gholamhosein Zarifnejad - Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Background: Empathy and its positive effects are of utmost importance in the relationship between patient and health care providers. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the level of empathy and its related factors among students of Nursing and Midwifery Faculty of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in ۲۰۱۶. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, ۳۵۳ students from the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery were selected by stratified random sampling. The data collection tool was the Persian version of Scale of Empathy- Health provider student version (SE-HPS) that the validity and reliability of the Persian version have been confirmed. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version ۲۰. Results: The mean total score of empathy among students was ۱۰۲.۷۶ ± ۱۵.۸۷. Among the ۳ subscales of SE-HPS, the highest mean was related to the subscale of Perspective taking (۵۳.۴۱ ± ۱۰.۳۴). The mean scores of the subscales of Compassionate care and Standing in the patient’s shoes were ۴۰.۱ ± ۷.۷۱ and ۹.۲۴ ± ۲.۹۳, respectively. The results show that the mean score of empathy was in female students and those whose mothers had college education statistically significanthigher. , The results of linear regression showed that gender, mother's education and field of study are the factors influencing empathy. Conclusion: According to the results of the study about the amount of empathy among students and the role of empathy in improving the quality of service provider relationship with the patient, educational planning seems necessary to strengthen the empathy between students and patients.

caring, compassion, Empathy, patients, Students