Effect of compassion fatigue on the caring ability of young psychiatric nurses: A dominance analysis and chain mediation model

AIMS: The aim of this study is to explore the mechanism by which three factors of compassion fatigue affect caring ability in young psychiatric nurses. METHODS: We used the Professional Quality of Life Scale and Caring Ability Inventory to investigate 309 young nurses in three psychiatric hospitals in Heilongjiang. Dominance analysis and chain mediation model were performed to explore the effects of three factors of compassion fatigue on caring ability. RESULTS: (1) The three factors of compassion fatigue affected the caring ability of young in the order compassion satisfaction > burnout>secondary traumatic stress by dominance analysis; (2) burnout played a partially mediating effect between compassion satisfaction and caring ability; and (3) secondary traumatic stress and burnout had a chain mediating effect between compassion satisfaction and caring ability. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of compassion satisfaction had the strongest impact on the caring ability of young psychiatric nurses which could be mediated via burnout and secondary traumatic stress. No patient or public contribution.