Patricija Puljak

Background/Objectives: Empathy is a fundamental element of nursing care. Differences in self-reported empathy across stages of nursing education may be related to educational advancement as well as to students’ age, employment status, and professional experience. Accordingly, this study examined self-reported empathy and its demographic, educational, and professional correlates among undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey included 201 nursing students in Osijek in 2025. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy—Health Professions Student version (JSE-HPS) was used. Exploratory group comparisons and regression analyses with HC3 robust standard errors were performed, with age entered continuously and work experience assessed separately. Results: The mean JSE-HPS score was 106.82 (SD = 14.21), and the median was 108 (Q1–Q3 = 95–118). The primary model included 200 students and explained 12.3% of the variance (adjusted R² = 0.123). Students in the reported female category had higher scores (B = 6.68, p = 0.003), whereas employed students had lower scores (B = −6.04, p = 0.014). Age and year of study were not statistically significant after adjustment. The employment association was not statistically significant in the model using categorized age and work experience. Conclusions: Female students consistently reported higher empathy scores, whereas the association with nursing employment varied across model specifications. Differences between academic stages were not statistically significant after adjustment. These findings highlight the need to consider students’ demographic and professional backgrounds when interpreting self-reported empathy in nursing education.

Background/Objectives: Empathy is an important professional attribute in nursing and may be influenced by demographic, educational, and professional characteristics. This study aimed to assess empathy levels and examine demographic, educational, and professional factors associated with empathy among undergraduate and gradu-ate nursing students in Croatia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 among 201 nursing students at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osi-jek. Empathy was assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy–Health Professions Student version (JSE-HPS). Group differences were examined using nonparametric tests. Multiple linear regression with heteroskedasticity-consistent HC3 standard errors was used for the primary multivariable analysis, with sensitivity analyses us-ing alternative model specifications and bootstrap confidence intervals. Results: The total JSE-HPS score was M = 106.82 ± 14.21 and Mdn = 108 (Q1–Q3 = 95–118). Signifi-cant unadjusted differences in empathy were observed according to gender, chrono-logical age, educational level, year of study, employment status, and years of work experience. In the primary HC3 model, female gender remained significantly associ-ated with higher empathy scores (B = 6.12, p = 0.013), whereas employment status was not statistically significant (p = 0.176). The primary model explained 11.5% of the variance according to adjusted R². The association of female gender with higher em-pathy remained consistent in sensitivity analyses; lower scores among employed stu-dents were supported in sensitivity and bootstrap analyses but were not consistent across all model specifications. Conclusions: Female gender showed a consistent asso-ciation with higher empathy scores, whereas the association with employment status was sensitive to model specification. These cross-sectional findings support continued attention to empathy throughout nursing education and warrant further longitudinal and multicenter research.