Empathy and Its Related Factors Among Undergraduate and Graduate Nursing Students in Osijek, Croatia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Empathy is a fundamental element of nursing care. Differences in self-reported empathy across stages of nursing education may be related to educational advancement as well as to students’ age, employment status, and professional experience. Accordingly, this study examined self-reported empathy and its demographic, educational, and professional correlates among undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey included 201 nursing students in Osijek in 2025. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy—Health Professions Student version (JSE-HPS) was used. Exploratory group comparisons and regression analyses with HC3 robust standard errors were performed, with age entered continuously and work experience assessed separately. Results: The mean JSE-HPS score was 106.82 (SD = 14.21), and the median was 108 (Q1–Q3 = 95–118). The primary model included 200 students and explained 12.3% of the variance (adjusted R2 = 0.123). Students in the reported female category had higher scores (B = 6.68, p = 0.003), whereas employed students had lower scores (B = −6.04, p = 0.014). Age and year of study were not statistically significant after adjustment. The employment association was not statistically significant in the model using categorized age and work experience. Conclusions: Female students consistently reported higher empathy scores, whereas the association with nursing employment varied across model specifications. Differences between academic stages were not statistically significant after adjustment. These findings highlight the need to consider students’ demographic and professional backgrounds when interpreting self-reported empathy in nursing education.