Assessment of Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue, and Coping Strategies among Nurses in Gastroenterology and Diagnostic Units of a Tertiary Care Hospital, Tamilnadu, India

Sumathy Jayaraman, Punithavathi A, Ida Anna Leethiyal D, Sangeetha S

Abstract: Nurses frequently encounter emotionally challenging situations that may lead to compassion fatigue, affecting their well-being and quality of care. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and coping strategies among nurses, and to determine associations between these variables and selected demographics. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 92 nurses working in the Gastroenterology Ward and Diagnostic Unit at Christian Medical College, Ranipet, Vellore. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which included the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) and a Coping Strategy Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 2021. Results showed that 58.7% of nurses had high and 40.2% had average compassion satisfaction, while most experienced average burnout (94.6%) and secondary traumatic stress (54.3%). No significant association was found between coping strategies and compassion satisfaction (p>0.05). The findings highlight the importance of fostering institutional support and training programs to enhance adaptive coping and reduce burnout. Interventions promoting emotional resilience may sustain compassion satisfaction and improve patient care outcomes

Keywords: Compassion fatigue, Compassion satisfaction, Coping strategies, Burnout, Nurses, Resilience