The Relationship between Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue with Shift Nurses’ Patient Safety-Related Activities

BACKGROUND: We examined the relationships of compassion satisfaction and fatigue among shift nurses on nursing engagement activities related to patient safety with the aim of improving shift nurses’ physical and psychological aspects in order to use the findings as a basis to enhance nurses’ engagement in activities related to patient safety. METHODS: The data collection period for this cross-sectional study was from Nov 21, 2019, to Jan 3, 2020. A convenience sample of 280 shift nurses who were working for more than six months at three tertiary hospitals in Korea was used. Collected data comprised general and job-related characteristics of subjects, compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and patient safety nursing activities. SPSS was used for statistical analysis, and multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between shift nurses’ compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and patient safety nursing activities RESULTS: Compassion satisfaction had the greatest impact on engagement in nursing activities related to patient safety (β= .32, P<.001), followed by compassion fatigue. Higher compassion satisfaction and lower compassion fatigue indicates a higher engagement in patient safety-related nursing activities (β= −.15, P<.008). CONCLUSION: In order to maximize compassion satisfaction and reduce compassion fatigue among shift nurses, it is important for health policymakers to improve their welfare system and create a supportive environment where negative emotions can be expressed freely and accepted positively.