EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMPASSION FATIGUE AND SPIRITUALITY AMONG NURSES: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY
Keywords:
Compassion Fatigue, Spiritual Care, Nursing, SpiritualityAbstract
This study investigated the relationship between compassion fatigue and nurses’ spirituality and perceptions of spiritual care using a convergent mixed-methods design. The sample consisted of 210 nurses actively working in Türkiye. Data were collected online between March 26 and August 20, 2025 using the Nurse Introductory Information Form, the Compassion Fatigue Scale, and the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale. Participants also answered the open-ended question, “What does compassion mean to you?” Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, whereas qualitative responses were evaluated through thematic analysis. The nurses’ mean age was 32.50 ± 5.86 years; 66.2% were female and 69.0% held a bachelor’s degree. Compassion fatigue scores were below the scale midpoint, while spirituality and spiritual care perception scores were above the scale midpoint. A moderate, negative, and statistically significant association was identified between compassion fatigue and spirituality/spiritual care (r = -0.408, p < 0.001). Qualitative findings showed that compassion was most frequently associated with empathy (32.4%).
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