Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue among Oncology Nurses

Oncology nurses encounter a complex work environment as they care for patients undergoing intense treatment regimens. Despite the demanding and stressful work, Oncology nurses experience satisfaction as they strive to deliver the highest standard of care. Constant exposure to stress can however, take a heavy toll on the psychological health of the nurses. A descriptive study was undertaken to assess the Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue among Oncology nurses. A total of 110 Oncology nurses were selected using convenience sampling technique. Data was collected using the Professional Quality of life Questionnaire version 5. The results revealed that 60 % of the subjects had high level of compassion satisfaction, however 90 % of them had average levels of burn out and 59 % had average levels of secondary traumatic stress. The mean compassion satisfaction score was 42.05±5.76. There was negative correlation between compassion satisfaction and burn out (p: 0.0002). There was no significant association between compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue and demographic variables. The study findings accentuate the need for instituting supportive measures to mitigate compassion fatigue.