Compassion fatigue and substance use among nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Compassion fatigue (CF) is a significant occupational hazard for nurses, often linked to stress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
• Substance use among nurses is a growing concern, potentially as a response to unmanaged stress and CF.
• Existing research on the relationship between substance use, demographics, and CF in nurses is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between various substance use patterns and compassion fatigue (CF) in nurses.
• To examine demographic variables, including gender, marital status, institution type, and income, as potential moderators of CF in nurses.
• To identify specific risk factors contributing to compassion fatigue among nursing professionals.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study design was employed, surveying 282 nurses.
• Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and self-reported frequent use of substances including cigarettes, sleeping pills, power drinks, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, coffee, analgesics, amphetamines, and alcohol.
• Compassion fatigue levels were assessed using the 66-item CF self-test developed by Stamm and Figely.

Main Results:

• Nurses who frequently used cigarettes, sleeping pills, power drinks, anti-depressants, and anti-anxiety drugs reported significantly higher compassion fatigue scores.
• No significant differences in CF were observed in nurses who consumed coffee, analgesics, amphetamines, or alcohol.
• Significant variations in CF were associated with the type of health institution, gender, and marital status, while income did not show a significant correlation with CF levels.

Conclusions:

• Nurses exhibiting lower resilience may resort to substance use as a maladaptive coping strategy for compassion fatigue.
• Findings underscore the critical need for nursing management to recognize the prevalence of substance use among nurses and implement organizational strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue and associated risks.
• Proactive interventions are essential to support nurse well-being and prevent negative health outcomes related to compassion fatigue and substance use.