Investigating the relationship between the perception of common humanity and compassion in healthcare workers

Compassion is a core value in healthcare, however the factors that promote unbiased compassion are not well understood. This research explored the relationship between the perception of common humanity and compassion in healthcare workers. The Sequential-Relational Model of Compassion was developed to explain the compassion process. A pre/post intervention was undertaken to investigate the impact of viewing common humanity scenarios on healthcare workers’ level of compassion. A compassion training session emphasising common humanity was also trialled and evaluated. The quantitative and qualitative data lent support to the hypothesis that the perception of common humanity is a prerequisite for compassion.