Comparison of the problem solving abilities and empathetic abilities of the students of the school of health

IX SUMMARY This descriptive and comparative study, was carried out to determine and compare Problem Solving Ability (PSA) and Empathetic Abilities (EA) of the first and fourth class students of Atatürk University, Erzurum School of Health. The questionaire was done on October 9 th, 2000. The whole population (181 students) were aimed to be included in the context of the study, but 157 students who were present in the classrooms on the day, when the data were collected comprised the sampling group (84 students in the first class and 73 students in the fourth). The data were collected by means of Questionaire Form, Empathetic Ability Scale and Problem Solving Scale, and were evaluated by means of percentage count, t- testing, Variance analysis (F), correlation, Kruskall Wallis (KW) and Mann Whitney (U) (MWU) analysis. 73.2% of the students were in Nursing Department and the rest of them (26.8%) were in Midwifing Department; 53.5% of the students were in the first class and rest of them (46.5%) were in the fourth class room. It was determined that Empathetic Ability Scores of the students were 135.59+20.31, and Problem Solving Scores were 80.25+17.00. The relationship between the scores of two scales was found to be insignificant (r = -.113, p>0.05). It was determined that PSA scores of the first class students were significantly higher than those of the fourth class (pO.01). It was determined that departments of the students, their ages, working as a nurse / midwife now, having health staff in their family, the high school graduation, the place where she lived most of her life, the rank of choice for School of Health, the field she wanted to work after graduation, attechment of level as to her profession, the change occuring in her profession as to attechment of level during her education didn't have a significant impact on their Problem Solving Ability and Empathetic Ability (p>0.05). The difference between the classes of the students and Empathetic Ability Scores also found to be insignificant (p>0.05).