A survey in compassion fatigue and the related factors of ICU nurses in Beijing′s two tertiary hospitals

Objective To investigate the compassion fatigue status and its related factors of ICU nurses in two tertiary hospitals in Beijing, providing a theoretical basis for further intervention. Methods This survey was conducted on 294 ICU nurses in two tertiary hospitals in Beijing using general information questionnaire and compassion fatigue scale. Results Nearly 62.86% (176/280) of ICU nurses had compassion fatigue, and the overall average score was 2.68. Among all the dimensions, the higher were 2.77 ± 0.72 of loss of enthusiasm, 2.77±0.52 of feeling indifference and 2.75 ± 0.67 of ability doubt. The education degree, marital status and post were the main influencing factors of compassion fatigue. And the pressure from patients and their families were the main reasons of compassion fatigue of the nurses. Conclusions There is compassion fatigue among ICU nurses in two hospitals in Beijing, it is suggested that nursing managers should avoid the impact of sympathetic factors from the management point of view, reducing ICU nurses sympathy fatigue. Key words: Nurses; Intensive care units; Compassion fatigue