The effect of compassion fatigue of nurses working in the intensive care unit on medical errors

This research was planned as a descriptive study to examine the effect of compassion fatigue on the tendency to medical errors of nurses working in intensive care units. The research was conducted between October 2022 and January 2023 in the intensive care units of Bingöl State Hospital and Bingöl Maternity and Children's Hospital. Research was conducted with 78 nurses. Data were collected using Personal Information Form, Compassion Fatigue Short Scale, and Medical Error Tendency Scale. Independent t test, One Way (ANOVA), Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis tests, Pearson correlation test and linear regression tests were performed in data analysis. The mean age of the nurses participating in the study was 32,43 (±5,61) years, %56,4 were female, %61,5 were bachelor's degree graduates, and %55,1 had worked in intensive care for 0-5 years. Among the nurses, %65,4 stated that they experienced compassion fatigue, %62,8 stated that they rarely encountered medical errors, and %79,5 stated that compassion fatigue affected medical errors. In the study, the compassion fatigue score of married individuals was statistically higher (t=3,28; p=,002). The total score of compassion fatigue of nurses who thought that compassion fatigue had an effect on medical error was found to be statistically significant (Z=306,00; p=,019). No relationship was found between compassion fatigue and tendency to medical error (p>,05). According to the results of the study, compassion fatigue was found to have no effect on the tendency to medical error. Increasing evidence-based scientific studies to reduce compassion fatigue and medical errors, establishing preventive resilience training programmes as well as treatments, and developing new strategies in the health system individually and institutionally are recommended. Keywords: Nursing, intensive care, compassion fatigue, medical error