Religiosity and empathy in a hospital emergency department's staff

Objective: To assess relationships between religiosity and empathy in physicians, nurses, and assistant nurses in a hospital (ED). Methods: Cross-sectional study using an anonymous, voluntary questionnaire for assessing degree of religiosity and an instrument assessing empathy (interpersonal reactivity index). Results: The 3 staff groups were homogeneous in profile, showing a low degree of religiosity and normative scores on ability to see someone else's point of view and empathize with the feelings and suffering of others. No significant differences between groups were detected. Weak links were found between religiosity and overall empathy (R = 0.18, r(2) = 0.03, P <=.02) and between perspective taking (cognitive empathy) and moral relativism (pragmatic empathy) (R = 0.16, r(2) = 0.02, P<.03). Conclusions: There is light of a relationship between religiosity and empathy in ED staff who are skeptical about religion. No substantial differences between the 3 staff groups were noted with regard to religiosity or empathetic attitudes. Low religiosity did not accompany low empathy. The observed homogeneity may reflect the demands of emergency care as well as the roles assigned to caregivers and care guidelines.