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Promoting empathy through a creative reflective teaching strategy: a mixed-method study.

The effects of a creative reflective clinical experience on psychiatric nursing students' empathy was examined using a mixed-method approach. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was used to measure empathy in students (N = 73) in a baccalaureate nursing program. The control group (n = 44) completed a conventional 14-week clinical experience, whereas the comparison group (n = 29) experienced a community psychosocial program for 4 of the weeks. Comparison group participants completed a creative reflective assignment to represent the life experience of a client with mental illness. To further understand empathy, a constructivist approach with purposive sampling was used to examine students' perceptions. Four themes emerged: having expectations, building relationships, changing perceptions, and gaining understanding through creative expression. Trends were noted, although no statistically significant differences in IRI scores were found for either group. However, this article argues that the use of a creative reflective assignment reduces stigma and promotes empathy.