Prevalence and contextual factors associated with compassion fatigue among nurses in northern Uganda

BACKGROUND: Compassion fatigue is associated with negative consequences that undermine workplace performance. However, literature is scarce on compassion fatigue among nurses in the context of Uganda who are at higher risk of compassion fatigue owed to the nature of their occupation and the unfavorable work environment. We aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of compassion fatigue among nurses in Northern Uganda. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 395 randomly selected nurses from two referral and four general hospitals in Northern Uganda. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, and logistic regression at a 95% level of significance in SPSS version 25. RESULTS: Of 395 nurses who took part in the study, 58.2% were female, 39.8% had a diploma, 47.1% were single, and 32.4% had worked for between 11–15 years. Close to 50% of the nurses experienced compassion fatigue. The predictors of compassion fatigue among the participants were; workplace bullying (AOR: 3.83; 95% CI: 1.99–7.36; p = <0.001) career enhancement opportunities (AOR: 9.16; 95% CI: 2.32–36.22; p = 0.002; and remuneration (AOR: 7.30; 95% CI: 2.73–19.49; p = <0.001). CONCLUSION: More than 3 in 4 nurses in Northern Uganda experience compassion fatigue. The Ministry of Health together with other stakeholders should strive to increase career enhancement opportunities for nurses, improve nurses’ remuneration and improve the overall workplace environment to prevent compassion fatigue among nurses in the country.