Effect of summer short-term clinical practice teaching on empathy ability in rehabilitation therapy students
10.3969/j.issn.1006-9771.2026.01.013
- VernacularTitle:暑期小学期临床实践教学对康复治疗学专业学生共情能力培养的实践研究
- Author:
Long HU
1
;
Hang YU
2
Author Information
1. Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330052, China
2. Nanchang Jianyuan Rehabilitation Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
rehabilitation therapy;
empathy;
practical teaching;
summer short-term semester;
medical humanities education;
rehabilitation competency framework
- From:
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice
2026;32(1):117-124
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
ObjectiveTo explore an centralized clinical practice teaching model delivered via a summer short-term semester, and to examine its effectiveness on empathy and communication efficacy among undergraduate students majoring in rehabilitation therapy through a mixed-methods design. MethodsFrom June to July, 2025, forty second-year rehabilitation therapy undergraduates from Nanchang Medical College participated in a one-week immersive clinical practice during the summer short-term semester. An action research framework integrating a one-group pre-post experimental design and qualitative research methods were adopted. Quantitative data were collected using the Chinese-Adapted Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Medical Student Version (JSE-HP) to assess changes in empathy. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured focus group interviews and structured reflective journals to investigate students' experiences and transformations in empathic cognition, emotional integration and professional identity. ResultsAfter the teaching intervention, students demonstrated significant improvements in the total score of JSE-HP and all subdimensions (perspective taking, compassionate care and standing in the patient's shoes) (t < -3.69, P < 0.01). Qualitative analysis yielded three core themes: reconstruction of clinical reasoning paradigms, emotional-cognitive integration and elevation of professional identity. ConclusionSummer short-term semester clinical practice model, structured around “clinical immersion, narrative reflection, interprofessional collaboration and formative assessment”, effectively facilitates embodied cultivation of empathy. This model not only bridges the gap between theory and clinical practice, but also serves as an educational catalyst for students' transformation from technical performers to humanistic caregivers. It aligns with the core concepts of the World Health Organization rehabilitation competency framework, offering a replicable and scalable approach to advancing systematic reform in medical humanities education.
