Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Levels among Nurses

Betül Aktaş; Ayşegül Karakulak; Jülide Gülizar Yıldırım; Medine Yılmaz

Article Details

Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Levels among Nurses

Authors:

Betül Aktaş | Ayşegül Karakulak | Jülide Gülizar Yıldırım | Medine Yılmaz

Publisher:

Izmir Katip Celebi University

Main Topics:

Halk Sağlığı Hemşireliği

Journal:

İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 3, pp.453-458

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001360085

pISSN:

2458-9799

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Objective: Compassion fatigue in nurses refers to the physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion that results from providing care to patients experiencing emotional pain and physical stress. Burnout, on the other hand, emerges as a consequence of prolonged exposure to work-related stress. Sometimes, an excessive sense of patient responsibility and empathy can cause intense stress and a lack of self-confidence in nurses, leading to increased compassion fatigue and burnout. This study aims to examine the levels of compassion fatigue and burnout among nurses working in hospitals. Materials and Methods: A comparative descriptive study was conducted between May and December 2023, involving 92 nurses working at a public hospital. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, the Compassion Fatigue Scale, and the Burnout Scale. Results: The average score of nurses on the Compassion Fatigue Scale was 69.6519.24, while the average total score on the Professional Burnout Scale was 4.311.32. A moderate positive correlation was found between the average scores on the Compassion Fatigue Scale and the Burnout Scale r0.678. Additionally, there was a weak correlation between the Secondary Trauma subscale of the Spiritual Fatigue Scale r0.456 and a strong correlation between the Professional Burnout subscale r0.709 p0.000. Conclusion: Nurses experience moderate levels of compassion fatigue and are generally in a state of occupational burnout. Additionally, as nurses levels of compassion fatigue rise, their levels of occupational burnout also increase. Keywords: Nursing, compassion fatigue, burnout.

 Objective: Compassion fatigue in nurses refers to the physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion that results from providing care to patients experiencing emotional pain and physical stress. Burnout, on the other hand, emerges as a consequence of prolonged exposure to work-related stress. Sometimes, an excessive sense of patient responsibility and empathy can cause intense stress and a lack of self-confidence in nurses, leading to increased compassion fatigue and burnout. This study aims to examine the levels of compassion fatigue and burnout among nurses working in hospitals. Materials and Methods: A comparative descriptive study was conducted between May and December 2023, involving 92 nurses working at a public hospital. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, the Compassion Fatigue Scale, and the Burnout Scale. Results: The average score of nurses on the Compassion Fatigue Scale was 69.6519.24, while the average total score on the Professional Burnout Scale was 4.311.32. A moderate positive correlation was found between the average scores on the Compassion Fatigue Scale and the Burnout Scale r0.678. Additionally, there was a weak correlation between the Secondary Trauma subscale of the Spiritual Fatigue Scale r0.456 and a strong correlation between the Professional Burnout subscale r0.709 p0.000. Conclusion: Nurses experience moderate levels of compassion fatigue and are generally in a state of occupational burnout. Additionally, as nurses levels of compassion fatigue rise, their levels of occupational burnout also increase. Keywords: Nursing, compassion fatigue, burnout.

 Objective: Compassion fatigue in nurses refers to the physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion that results from providing care to patients experiencing emotional pain and physical stress. Burnout, on the other hand, emerges as a consequence of prolonged exposure to work-related stress. Sometimes, an excessive sense of patient responsibility and empathy can cause intense stress and a lack of self-confidence in nurses, leading to increased compassion fatigue and burnout. This study aims to examine the levels of compassion fatigue and burnout among nurses working in hospitals. Materials and Methods: A comparative descriptive study was conducted between May and December 2023, involving 92 nurses working at a public hospital. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, the Compassion Fatigue Scale, and the Burnout Scale. Results: The average score of nurses on the Compassion Fatigue Scale was 69.6519.24, while the average total score on the Professional Burnout Scale was 4.311.32. A moderate positive correlation was found between the average scores on the Compassion Fatigue Scale and the Burnout Scale r0.678. Additionally, there was a weak correlation between the Secondary Trauma subscale of the Spiritual Fatigue Scale r0.456 and a strong correlation between the Professional Burnout subscale r0.709 p0.000. Conclusion: Nurses experience moderate levels of compassion fatigue and are generally in a state of occupational burnout. Additionally, as nurses levels of compassion fatigue rise, their levels of occupational burnout also increase. Keywords: Nursing, compassion fatigue, burnout.

 Amaç: Merhamet yorgunluğu hemşirelerde, duygusal acı ve fiziksel stres içerisindeki hastalara bakım vermeye bağlı olarak fiziksel, duygusal ve ruhsal tükenmişliğe işaret etmektedir. Tükenmişlik, iş ile ilgili sürekli ve uzun süreli strese maruz kalmanın bir sonucu olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Kimi zaman hasta sorumluluğu ve empati duygusunun fazla olması hemşirelerde yoğun stres ve özgüven eksikliğinin oluşmasına, merhamet yorgunluğunun artmasına ve tükenmişliğe neden olmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı hastanede çalışan hemşirelerin merhamet yorgunluğu ile tükenmişlik düzeylerinin incelenmesidir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Karşılaştırmalı tanımlayıcı tipteki bu çalışma Mayıs-Aralık 2023 tarihleri arasında bir devlet hastanesinde görev yapan 92 hemşire ile yürütülmüştür. Veri toplamada sosyodemografik bilgi formu, Merhamet Yorgunluğu Ölçeği ve Tükenmişlik Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Hemşirelerin Merhamet Yorgunluğu ölçeği toplam puan ortalaması 69,6519,24, Mesleki Tükenmişlik Ölçeği toplam puan ortalaması 4,311,32dir. Merhamet Yorgunluğu Ölçeği ile Tükenmişlik Ölçeği toplam puan ortalamaları arasında pozitif yönde orta düzeyde r0,678, Merhamet Yorgunluğu Ölçeğinin İkincil Travma alt boyutu arasında zayıf düzeyde r0,456 ve Mesleki Tükenmişlik alt boyutu arasında yüksek düzeyde r0,709 ilişki belirlenmiştir p 0,000. Sonuç: Hemşireler orta düzeyde merhamet yorgunluğu ve genel olarak mesleki tükenmişlik yaşamaktadırlar. Ayrıca hemşirelerin merhamet yorgunluğu arttıkça mesleki tükenmişlik düzeyleri de artmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Hemşirelik, merhamet yorgunluğu, tükenmişlik.

Article Details

Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Levels among Nurses

Authors:

Betül Aktaş | Ayşegül Karakulak | Jülide Gülizar Yıldırım | Medine Yılmaz

Publisher:

Izmir Katip Celebi University

Main Topics:

Halk Sağlığı Hemşireliği

Journal:

İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 3, pp.453-458

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001360085

pISSN:

2458-9799

Nursing

compassion fatigue

burnoutHemşirelik

merhamet yorgunluğu

tükenmişlik

Issues

Article Details

Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Levels among Nurses

Authors: Betül Aktaş | Ayşegül Karakulak | Jülide Gülizar Yıldırım | Medine Yılmaz

Publisher: Izmir Katip Celebi University

Main Topics: Halk Sağlığı Hemşireliği

Journal: İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 3, pp.453-458

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 9/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001360085

pISSN: 2458-9799

Nursing

compassion fatigue

burnoutHemşirelik

merhamet yorgunluğu

tükenmişlik

Issues

Authors:

Betül Aktaş | Ayşegül Karakulak | Jülide Gülizar Yıldırım | Medine Yılmaz

Publisher:

Izmir Katip Celebi University

Main Topics:

Halk Sağlığı Hemşireliği

Journal:

İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 3, pp.453-458

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001360085

pISSN:

2458-9799