The Relationship Between Grit and Empathy Among Nurses Working in Medical-Surgical Wards

Etemad, Elham; Hosseinabadi, Reza; Mohammadi, Rasoul; Fallahi, Fatemeh; Beiranvand, Shourangiz

doi:10.22087/ijac.2026.549227.1069

The Relationship Between Grit and Empathy Among Nurses Working in Medical-Surgical Wards

Document Type : Research

Authors

Elham Etemad ¹

Reza Hosseinabadi ²

Rasoul Mohammadi ³

Fatemeh Fallahi ⁴

Shourangiz Beiranvand ²

¹ Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

² Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

³ Nutritional Health Research Center, School of Health and Nutrition, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.

⁴ Trauma Nursing Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.

10.22087/ijac.2026.549227.1069

Abstract

Empathy and grit are key constructs associated with the quality of nursing care and professional performance; however, their reciprocal relationship has been less frequently examined in clinical settings. This study aimed to determine the association between grit and empathy among nurses working in medical-surgical wards of teaching hospitals in Khorramabad, Iran. In this descriptive-correlational study, 263 nurses were recruited through census sampling based on inclusion criteria. Data were collected using the Short Grit Scale and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. Statistical analyses were performed in Stata version 17 using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multivariate regression tests. Empathy showed a significant positive correlation with grit (r = 0.266, p < 0.001). Among the grit dimensions, perseverance of effort (r = 0.250, p < 0.001) showed a stronger correlation with empathy than consistency of interest (r = 0.133, p = 0.031). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that grit (β = 0.436, p = 0.005), sex (β = 3.916, p = 0.049), and interest in the nursing profession (β = 4.763, p = 0.010) were significant predictors of empathy. In conclusion, nursing managers are advised to consider strategies that foster intrinsic motivation, such as culturally grounded educational approaches and targeted interventions, to enhance grit and empathy during recruitment and training.

Keywords

Grit

Empathy

Nurses

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