How Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making Competences Influence the Provision of Empathic Care Among Nursing Students?

Background: A patient-centered holistic approach in nursing care requires nurse interns to integrate cognitive and emotional skills. Clinical reasoning and decision-making competencies are essential for effective action in dynamic healthcare environments, but their relationship to providing empathic nursing care, where compassion is critical, remains underexplored. Aim: To examine the influence of clinical reasoning and decision-making competences on the provision of empathic care among nursing students during internship training. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which data were collected from 346 nursing students recruited from 4 hospitals in Egypt between June and August 2024 using 3 tools. Hypotheses were tested through correlation and regression analyses. Results: Empathic care showed significant correlations with clinical reasoning and decision-making competences. Both competences also significantly impacted the provision of empathic care. Conclusions: Clinical reasoning and decision-making skills strongly predict empathic care among nurse interns, highlighting the need to foster these competencies for holistic, patient-centered care. Nursing education should emphasize developing these skills through simulation-based learning and revising competency standards to prioritize empathy.