The effect of compassion fatigue on medication errors among pediatric nurses

Aim: This study aims to examine the relationship between pediatric nurses' compassion fatigue and their tendency to make medication errors. It has been identified that pediatric patients suffer due to medication errors made by nurses experiencing compassion fatigue, and there are gaps in nurses' knowledge on this issue. Therefore, it is crucial to continuously update and sustain scientific research to increase awareness and emphasize the importance of addressing this problem. Materials and Methods: The study employs a descriptive and cross-sectional design and was conducted with pediatric nurses at Manisa Celal Bayar University Hafsa Sultan Hospital. Data collection involved using the following instruments: Results: The findings indicate that high workloads and long working hours are associated with increased compassion fatigue and higher tendencies for medication errors among nurses. A weak negative correlation was observed between compassion fatigue and medication error tendencies, suggesting that while there is an association, other factors may also influence these tendencies. Additionally, nurses with higher clinical satisfaction reported lower scores in certain sub-dimensions of medication errors. Conclusion: Improving working conditions for nurses, developing effective stress management strategies, and enhancing continuous professional training are emphasized as crucial measures. Implementing these strategies could reduce compassion fatigue and medication error rates, thereby improving the overall quality of patient care. Key words: Compassion fatigue, Medical error, Pediatric nurses, Medical error propensity.