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The development of professional values in nursing students is an important issue for the nursing profession. However, the research on nursing students' professional values and its related factors is very limited. This cross-sectional and correlational study aimed to examine the mediating effect of empathy between moral sensitivity and professional values. This study was conducted with 328 second, third and fourth-year students. The participants completed an online survey consisting of the student information form, Modified Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire for Student Nurses, Empathic Tendency Scale and Nursing Professional Values Scale. The results showed that moral sensitivity affected undergraduate nursing students' professional values not only directly but also indirectly through empathic tendency. The results of the study show that moral sensitivity and empathic tendency support the acquisition of professional values in undergraduate nursing students. Nurse educators needs to realize that can be improved professional values by integrating moral sensitivity and empathic tendency in their curriculum. • Nursing students have a high perception of professional values in Turkey. • Professional values were positively predicted by increases in moral sensitivity. • Empathic tendency is a mediator in the relationship between moral sensitivity and professional values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background It has been shown that empathy strengthens the relationship between patients and health professionals and also improves patient and health professional satisfaction, which helps promote the best clinical outcomes. Empathy is considered an essential prerequisite for a nurse to effectively care for a patient and for a holistic understanding of a patient's perspective in a student population. Objectives The main aim was to compare empathy levels between health professional students attending different university courses. Design A comparative study with a cross-sectional approach was conducted in two successive academic year cohorts of 1st year health professional students at a public Italian university. Participants and Methods A sample of 1st year health professional students at a public Italian university was investigated using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy Health Professional Students version (JSE-HPS). Results Overall, 502 health professional students were included in the study. The students in nursing showed significantly higher empathy levels than the students in other health professions. Furthermore, the female students were found to exhibit significantly more overall empathy than the male students were. Conclusions The undergraduate nursing students showed a significantly higher mean score of empathy measured by the Jefferson Scale of Empathy Health Professional Students version (JSE-HPS) than the students attending other health undergraduate courses. This could mean that a particular aptitude in establishing a help-relationship with other people exists among the students that choose to become a nurse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]