The effect of disaster experience on compassion intensity, meaning of life and attitudes towards the profession in surgical nurses

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the impact of disaster experiences on surgical nurses' levels of compassion fatigue, their sense of meaning in life, and their professional attitudes. Materials and Methods:This descriptive and phenomenological study was conducted between November 2023 and November 2024 at Manisa City Hospital, Merkezefendi State Hospital, and Manisa Celal Bayar University Hafsa Sultan Faculty of Medicine Hospital. The study population consisted of nurses working in the surgical units of these hospitals (N=400), and the sample comprised 240 nurses who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate. Data were collected using the Nurse Information Form, the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale, the Meaning and Purpose of Life Scale, and the Attitudes Toward the Nursing Profession Scale. In addition, a semi-structured questionnaire titled "Experiences of Working in a Disaster Zone" was administered to 60 surgical nurses who had volunteered to serve in the earthquake-affected region. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0, applying descriptive statistics, parametric and non-parametric tests, and correlation analyses. Qualitative data regarding the nurses' disaster-related experiences were evaluated using thematic analysis. Findings: The mean score on the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale was 54.33±21.92; on the Meaning and Purpose of Life Scale, it was 67.87±9.10; and on the Attitudes Toward the Nursing Profession Scale, it was 159.53±14.80. Of the total sample, 60 nurses had experience working in the disaster area, while 180 did not. Among nurses with disaster experience, the mean scores were 52.41±22.23 for compassion fatigue, 69.18±9.53 for meaning and purpose in life, and 161.21±14.08 for professional attitudes. A statistically significant difference was observed between disaster experience and the subdimension scores related to meaning and purpose in life (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that disaster experiences influenced nurses' perception of meaning in life but had no significant effect on compassion fatigue or their professional attitudes. Keywords: Disaster Experience, Compassion Fatigue, Professional Attitudes, Surgical Nurses, Meaning and Purpose in Life