Congratulations to Dr. Janice Lockett

Janice Lockett, Professor and Program Chair for Nursing, has completed her Ph.D. in Nursing Education.

Dr. Lockett’s degree from Capella University was awarded in February 2021.

Janice’s doctoral research evaluated the effects of empathy training for associate’s degree nursing students.

• Higher empathy levels of healthcare professionals are associated with optimal health outcomes for patients and nurses, and previous research has indicated that nursing students’ empathy declined as their patient encounters increased.
   
• Janice’s research outcomes support the value of integrating empathy training at multiple levels throughout nursing students’ academic studies.
   
• First-year and second-year nursing students who participated in Janice’s research study showed moderate to high levels of empathy, as measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy for Health Professional Students survey.

Janice’s research outcomes also show that reinforcement of empathetic skills throughout the curriculum may enhance empathy in health students that continues into their professional practice.