Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout: A study of nurses in a large Texas health-care system

The purpose of this study is to examine compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout in nurses at a large nonprofit, Catholic-based health-care system in southern Texas.

This is a cross-sectional, exploratory study using a self-report survey. The survey included a demographic questionnaire and the Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 (ProQOL 5). It was emailed to 1000 nurses at a large health-care system in Texas, USA. Three hundred and eighteen nurses completed the survey for a response rate of 31.8%.

The results find low mean levels of compassion fatigue (CF) and burnout and high mean levels of compassion satisfaction (CS) among the nurses. Hours worked and nursing specialty emerged as factors in whether the nurses experienced CF or CS. The nurses with less than 10 years of experience have lower levels of CS and higher levels of burnout than those with over 10 years of experience. Finally, nurses who hold professional certification have statistically significant higher CF scores than those who do not.

Health-care settings may need to take into consideration the number of hours worked and nursing specialty as significant factors in whether nurses experience CF or CS.

Three key elements in CF prevention are education, awareness, and self-care. Often the climate in health-care settings discourages medical professionals from practicing effective self-care. The strategies for combating burnout are linked to changing health-care systems so that nurses are supported. Hospitals may explore alternative work schedules and lower patient loads to prevent CF and burnout.