Investigation of compassion level and compassion fatigue in surgical nurses

The study was conducted in a descriptive and relationship-seeking type to examine the level of compassion and compassion fatigue in surgical nurses. The study was conducted with 200 surgical nurses working in public hospitals and university hospitals in Trabzon city center and volunteering to participate in the research. Data were collected using the "Nurse Introduction Form", "Compassion Scale" and "Compassion Fatigue Sub-Scale". Percentage in data analysis, max. and min. Mann Whitney U test, One Way Analysis of Variance, Kruskall Wallis analysis, independent groups t test, Spearman Correlation Analysis, Pearson correlation analysis were used with values. It was determined that the level of compassion was high and the level of compassion fatigue was moderate in surgical nurses. It was determined that the difference between the mean total score of Compassion Scale in surgical nurses according to gender, education level, duration of working in the current clinic and overall satisfaction with working was statistically significant (p<0.05). A statistically significant difference was found between the age and duration of work in the surgical nurses, and the total mean score of Compassion Fatigue Sub-Scale (p<0.05). A statistically significant, low-level, and negative correlation was found between the Compassion Scale total score and the Compassion Fatigue Sub-Scale total score (p<0.05). The concept of compassion should be given more place in nursing education, and it is necessary to take and increase the necessary measures to prevent compassion fatigue, which is the cost of care, and to create an awareness to prevent the development of compassion fatigue.