Factors influencing compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue among nurses: a study in a tertiary hospital

BACKGROUND: Nursing is a caring profession for which compassion is a core value. Increasing stress and declining job satisfaction are among the major challenges in nursing. Demographic and work-related factors may influence nurses' compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue (i.e., burnout and secondary traumatic stress) levels. In this study, the level of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction and their associated factors were examined among nurses in a tertiary hospital.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Malaysia. The data were collected over a period of 6 months via online distribution of the Personal Information Form, Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) version III and Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) version V questionnaires. The Cronbach's alpha internal consistency of the questionnaire scales was mostly acceptable and above 0.75. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the sociodemographic and rank domains of work environment-related factors for nurses and their levels of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Relationships between sociodemographic factors and the levels of compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout were assessed by bivariate analyses. A p value