Empathy is being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes or experience the emotions of the other person. It allows you to convey that understanding to them so they know they are understood in a visceral way. While undoubtedly important for many aspects of life, being empathetic is especially useful for those working in health care.
Empathy helps ensure people receive the best quality health care, helps patients from all backgrounds and cultures receive care that works best for them, and helps patients feel safe about their health care procedures. But all too often, those working in health care can become burnt out—which may have a serious impact on their ability to relate to and be empathetic, with patients.
