Cultivating empathy and reflective practice through communication training: Design and feasibility of a narrative medicine-based intervention with nursing students in Hong Kong

Background: Empathy is essential for patient-centered nursing care, yet consensus on effective teaching methods remains limited. Aim: This article presents an overview of the design, implementation, and evaluation of a narrative medicine-based teaching intervention that aimed to enhance nursing students’ awareness of communication associated with expressions and perceptions of empathy as a multidimensional construct. Methods: Six nursing students enrolled at a public university in Hong Kong participated in a 4-week intervention that consisted of three sequential activities (reflective writing, point-of-view exercises, and simulation role play) aligned with Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, targeting affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions of empathy. Results: Findings indicated that the sequential narrative medicine-based activities developed participants’ awareness and understanding of empathy. Students reported that the structured reflective exercises encouraged deeper reflection and greater consideration of patients’ perspectives within communication practices. Conclusion: The findings of this exploratory study suggest that theoretically grounded, narrative-based interventions can support students’ awareness of empathy and integrate reflective and communication-focused activities into nursing education curricula.