Compassion Fatigue, Burnout Leads to High Nursing Turnover
Beautiful doctor in blue scrubs is covering her face while standing in hospital corridor
When oncology nurses experience compassion fatigue, the consequences can be dire: from nurses leaving their place of employment, to implications for health care institutions and—most importantly—decreased quality of patient care. A recent study published in the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing examined the relationship between compassion fatigue and nurse turnover.
“Compassion fatigue is a growing area of concern for health care organizations. Nurses are among the most trusted of professionals among the general population, and it’s crucial that we advocate for nurse well-being so that nurses may continue to deliver optimal care for patients,” Diana Wells-English, DNP, FNP-BC, investigator on the study and nurse at HCA Healthcare, said.
The researchers used surveys to collect data from 93 nurses at a 90-bed urban cancer center and measured compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue and turnover intention.
Compassion fatigue and burnout were found to be strong indicators of nurse turnover.
