The mediating role of conscience stress in the relationship between compassion fatigue and nursing care quality in emergency nurses

With this study, it is aimed to define the quality of care perceptions, compassion fatigue and conscience stress levels of emergency nurses; evaluate the mediating effect of the stress of conscience they experienced on compassion fatigue and perception of nursing care quality. This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with 384 emergency nurses across Turkey. 'Sociodemographic Data Collection Form', 'Compassion Fatigue-Short Scale', 'Stress of Conscience Scale' and 'Caring Behaviors Scale' were used to collect data. Data; were evaluated using descriptive statistical methods, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Pearson Correlation and path analysis. In the study, CBI-24, CF-SC and Conscience Stress Scale mean scores of emergency nurses were respectively; 5,16±0,67, 71,28±25,19, 100,48±41,97. A positive correlation was found between the stress of conscience scale and CF-SC (p<0,05), but no correlation was found between CBI-24 (p>0,05). A negative correlation was found between CF-SC and CBI-24 (p<0,05). The findings of the study showed that emergency nurses' perceptions of care quality were high, compassion fatigue and conscience stress levels were moderate, and that stress of conscience did not have a mediating effect between perception of quality of care and compassion fatigue. It is recommended that nurses' compassion fatigue levels and their perceptions of quality of care be evaluated at regular intervals. KEYWORDS: Emergency service, Nursing care, Health quality services, Compassion fatigue, Stress of conscience