Compassion fatigue and COVID-19: A global view from nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic and its variants pose significant psychological burdens on nurses.
• High compassion fatigue (CF) in nurses correlates with increased work errors, reduced care quality, and higher turnover intentions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors influencing nurses' compassion fatigue (CF) and compassion satisfaction (CS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Utilized the social-ecological model to analyze these influencing factors.

Main Methods:

• Collected data from 662 nurses in the United States, Japan, and South Korea (July-December 2020).
• Employed the Professional Quality of Life Scale to measure burnout (BO), secondary traumatic stress (STS), and CS.

Main Results:

• Resilience and intention to leave nursing were significantly associated with BO, STS, and CS.
• Higher resilience predicted lower BO and STS, but greater CS.
• Intrapersonal and organizational factors, including policy involvement, organizational support, and PPE provision, were linked to BO, STS, and CS.

Conclusions:

• Improving organizational support, PPE provision, and resilience-enhancing programs is crucial for nurses' psychological well-being.
• These interventions are recommended to better prepare nurses for future infectious disease crises.