Abstract:

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of compassion fatigue on the job and life satisfaction of nurses working in the Oncology and Palliative Care services. Methods: This research was conducted in the oncology and palliative care units of all the hospitals under the Ministry of Health in the Central Black Sea region of Turkey. No sampling was carried out, and the study was conducted with 110 nurses available who met the criteria. Data were collected using a Descriptive Form, the Professional Quality of Life IV-Compassion Fatigue Sub-Scale, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale and analyzed using frequency, mean, standard deviation, oneway analysis of variance, independent samples t-test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Mann–Whitney U-test statistics. Results: The study results evinced the mean score of Professional Quality of Life-Compassion Fatigue (PRoQOL-CF-IV) as 22.6 ± 7.44, the average score of Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) as 57.7 ± 13.07, and the mean Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) score as 12.4 ± 4.52. A negative correlation was found between the nurses’ compassion fatigue mean scores and life satisfaction scores and a positive correlation was found between job satisfaction and life satisfaction (P = .036, P=.001). Conclusion: This study found that nurses experienced low levels of compassion fatigue and high levels of job satisfaction and life satisfaction, that an increase in compassion fatigue negatively affected life satisfaction but did not affect job satisfaction, and that an increase in job satisfaction had a positive effect on life satisfaction.

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