Gender differences in empathy, emotional intelligence and problem-solving ability among nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Empathy, emotional intelligence (EI) and problem-solving ability are three important characteristics that influence effective communication in clinical practice. Previous studies have not adequately explored the specific relationships between these three abilities and their gender differences among nursing students. We sought to investigate the current state of emotional intelligence, empathy, and problem-solving ability in nursing students and to identify whether gender differences affect these three characteristics and how gender differences can be used to educate nurses on empathy. We conducted a cross-sectional survey. A total of 993 nursing students from two grade A tertiary hospitals in Hunan, China participated in this study. Data were collected using the Empathy of Clinical Nurse Scale (ENCS), Emotional Intelligence Scale of Clinical Junior Nurses (EIS) and Social Problem-Solving Inventory (SPSI). Data were analyzed using an independent samples t-test, Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple linear regression. There was no significant difference in the ENCS and SPSI scores between male and female nursing students, but male nursing students had lower EIS scores (P < 0.05). A significant association was found between ENCS, EIS and SPSI on most dimensions among female nursing students, but no significant association was found between ENCS and EIS for total scores among males. We found that problem-solving ability was the most important factor affecting the variation in empathy for both male and female nursing students through hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Gender differences are reflected not only in the level of emotional intelligence but also in the relationships between emotional intelligence, empathy, and problem-solving ability. Nursing educators should be aware of how gender differences can affect these three traits; this is particularly important for teaching based on students' aptitudes.