Compassion Fatigue And Its Influencing Factors Among Clinical Nurses In Tertiary Hospitals

ObjectivesTo investigate the situation of compassion fatigue of clinical nurses in tertiary hospitals,to master the current level of compassion fatigue of nurses,to analyze the causes and influencing factors of compassion fatigue,and to provide empirical basis and suggestions for promoting the mental health of nurses,improving the quality of nursing services and job satisfaction.It can help hospital managers and researchers to formulate comprehensive measures to improve the professional quality of life of nurses in China.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 1044 clinical nurses in the tertiary hospitals of Chengdu,Wuhan from March to June 2019 through.convenient sampling.General demographic information was used to collect general information of clinical nurses,and the fifth edition of professional quality of life scale(Pro QOL-V)was used to evaluate the level of compassion satisfaction,burnout and secondary trauma stress of nurses.Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS software.The main statistical methods include descriptive statistical analysis,two independent samples t-test,one-way ANOVA,multiple regression analysis and so on.Based on the quantitative research,qualitative research is added in this study.Through interviews,we can deeply understand the influence of work-related factors on nurses’ compassion fatigue,and supplement the results of quantitative research from the individual micro perspective.Result1.The scores of the three dimensions of nurses’ compassion fatigue were:compassion satisfaction(31.62 ± 6.10),burnout(26.37 ± 5.29),secondary trauma pressure(26.90 ± 5.02).2.Our study showed that the age of 36 or higher,being married,higher jobsatisfaction and good sleep quality could affect compassion satisfaction positively.regular exercise was positively.In addition,we also found that regular exercise was positively associated with compassion satisfaction while smoking was a negative factor for compassion satisfaction.And divorced nurses,low job satisfaction,sleep hours per day and sleep quality were negative factors for burnout.And clinical nurses with low job satisfaction,poor sleep quality and low frequency of exercise had higher level of secondary trauma stress.3.The results of multiple regression analysis of compassion fatigue: job satisfaction,exercise frequency,professional title,average sleep duration,sleep quality,smoking habits,children’s situation ultimately affect the level of compassion satisfaction;job satisfaction,sleep quality,marital status,average sleep duration,Department affect the level of burnout;sleep quality,job satisfaction,exercise frequency affect secondary trauma stress Level.4.The results showed six themes:(1)the negative influence of compassion fatigue on the physical and mental health of nurses;(2)the bad working environment and humanistic environment will aggravate the compassion fatigue of nurses;(3)the painful experience of nursing objects increases the negative emotional experience of nurses;(4)the poor communication between nurses and patients reduces the working enthusiasm of nurses;(5)the lack of understanding of compassion fatigue;(6)the lack of personal response ability.Conclusion1.The overall level of compassion fatigue of clinical nurses in tertiary hospitals is not optimistic,and the situation is more severe compared with similar studies abroad.It is suggested that the work saturation of domestic nurses is higher,the work intensity is high,and the emotional payment of long-term overload has a negative impact on the physical and mental health of nurses,the ability and interest of nursing care of nurses are reduced,the quality of nursing care of nurses is affected,the sense of work goal and value is reduced,and the intention of leaving is easy to sprout.2.The tense and disharmonious working environment,the perception of sufferings and the impact of death on nurses are related to the nurses’ compassion fatigue.To guide nurses’ perception of positive emotions,to form an effective and powerful peer support system,which is helpful for nurses to alleviate compassion fatigue.3.Nurses in the tertiary hospitals have been in the state of emotional overload for a long time.The negative emotional impact of nurses in the process of care is far more than the emotional support nurses can get in the working environment.The needs of nurses are still at the low level of Maslow’s needs,and they pay low attention to emotional needs.Most nurses are affected by compassion fatigue.All kinds of physical and mental symptoms,such as headache,anxiety and so on,which are related to the suffering experience of patients at work and the impact of death on nurses.Paying attention to the mental health of nurses and helping the high risk group of compassion fatigue to conduct psychological counseling are helpful to relieve the psychological pressure of nurses and provide emotional support.Improve the quality of nursing service.4.There are many factors that affect nurses’ compassion fatigue.Managers should focus on helping nurses to establish good living habits,understand the two sides of the influence of family conditions on nurses,establish the mechanism of nurses’ traumatic protection and psychological nursing support to alleviate the current situation of nurses’ compassion fatigue.