Compassion fatigue in nurses caring for chronic diseases

Abstract

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of compassion fatigue in nurses caring for chronic diseases and the factors that affect it. Nurses who provide continuous care for chronic diseases are under the risk of facing compassion fatigue. Methods. The descriptive and cross-sectional study took place during January–March 2019. The nurse identification form and the ‘compassion fatigue’ sub-dimension of the professional quality of life scale were used to determine compassion fatigue. Results. Nurses experience compassion fatigue at a moderate level. Female nurses, those who experience a decrease in their willingness to provide care and those who intend to leave work experience compassion fatigue more. Decrease in the willingness to provide care plays a determinant role on compassion fatigue. Nurses who experience compassion fatigue are unwilling to provide care to their patients. Conclusion. This study indicates the importance of the necessity for development of a compassion fatigue prevention program in the clinical area. Nurses should be trained on compassion fatigue within the scope of in-service training. This subject should be included in the school curriculum to increase the awareness of nursing students’ about compassion fatigue.

Keywords:

• caring
• chronic disease
• compassion
• compassion fatigue
• nurses

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.