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Description
Empathy is a core component of compassionate, patient-centered nursing care and is linked to better patient outcomes, safety, and satisfaction. This preliminary literature review synthesized research on empathy development in undergraduate nursing education to inform the study of Baggage Claim: Carrying What We Cannot See, an experiential activity designed by Dr. Anita Lowe in which students anonymously share a personal burden that is redistributed among classmates for reflection and discussion. CINAHL and PubMed were searched for peer-reviewed articles published 2015–2026 on empathy in prelicensure nursing students; 20 of 27 articles met inclusion criteria (12 original studies and 8 reviews), and each was coded across seven themes. Simulation, role-play, narrative writing, and guided reflection often improved empathy, though effects were modest and measured mostly by self-report over the short term. Peer connection and students’ own unseen burdens were rarely addressed, and the two studies that examined empathy decline found no significant drop. The review is guided by Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, Rogers’ Person-Centered Theory, and experiential learning principles. Pending IRB approval, a planned mixed-methods pre/post study will evaluate Baggage Claim using the Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale–Revised (KCES-R) and qualitative analysis of student reflections.
Publication Date
Fall 11-19-2026
Publisher
The University of Texas at Tyler
City
Tyler
Keywords
empathy, nursing education, nursing students, compassion fatigue, emotional labor, empathic communication, patient-centered care, literature synthesis, professional identity formation, student well-being
Disciplines
Medical Education | Medicine and Health Sciences | Mental and Social Health | Nursing | Psychology
Recommended Citation
Frazier-Bailey, Jada S. and Woodall, Faith, "Baggage Claim: Carrying What We Cannot See" (2026). Honors Nursing Posters. 6.
https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/honors_nursing_posters/6
Included in
Medical Education Commons, Mental and Social Health Commons, Nursing Commons, Psychology Commons
Comments
Faculty mentors: Anna Hanson, PhD, RN, ACUE, and Anita Lowe, PhD, RN, ACUE. The Baggage Claim activity was designed by Dr. Anita Lowe. This poster presents a preliminary literature review; the planned evaluation study is pending IRB approval. Presented as a poster at the Fall Doctoral Conference, The University of Texas at Tyler School of Nursing, November 12, 2026, and at the Fall Honors Lyceum, The University of Texas at Tyler Honors College, November 19, 2026.