Submitted to the School of Nursing and Health Professions of Colorado Christian University Lakewood, Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice Abstract Background: Compassionate care is considered essential to nursing practice and quality care. Despite its importance, however, no standardized training currently exists. Training that includes emotional learning through the affective domain has been linked with improved understanding, empathy, and compassion. Aim: This evidence-based practice project aimed to answer the following PICOT question: During a nurse residency program (P), how does instruction that incorporates the affective domain (I) compared to standard instruction (C) impact the delivery of compassionate care (O) over 3 months (T)? Design: Three unfolding video case studies were developed, which included audio recordings and music to elicit an emotional attachment. Following each 5-7 minute video, participants engaged in reflection and discussion. Results: Ninety four percent of nurses stated the intervention positively impacted how they view the patient and their daily clinical practice. However, no statistical difference was found between pre and post survey means using a paired t-test or between the intervention and control group when comparing the mean difference between the pre and post survey via independent t-test. Qualitative analysis demonstrated evidence of personal growth in 8 of the 11 attributes of compassion suggesting a positive impact on compassionate care. Finally, a positive correlation was found between nursing degree and the pre-post survey mean difference. Conclusion: The use of affective domain instruction could provide opportunities for personal growth in the 11 attributes of compassion. Keywords Compassionate care nursing, improving compassionate care, teaching compassionate care, interventions for compassionate care, compassionate care education, and measuring compassionate care