A Mixed Methods Exploration of Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue, and Emergency Nurses’ Caring Ability

Introduction: A more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the positive and negative factors of professional quality of life and the emergency nurse's caring ability is imperative given that the care a nurse gives has lasting effects on their patients. This study aimed to examine the effects of professional quality of life constructs on caring ability in emergency nurses. Methods: A sample of emergency nurses (n = 238) in the United States participated. Using a convergent mixed method approach with quantitative priority, bivariate associations were explored, and a model of caring ability was obtained via multiple regression analysis incorporating the independent variables to answer the research questions. A final regression model of caring ability was obtained using the independent variables in conjunction with adjustment for significant demographic characteristics. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. Themes were derived and qualitative data was quantitized for a better understanding of the phenomena under study. Results: Most participants reported low levels of compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and caring ability. A multiple regression analysis identified compassion satisfaction as the strongest predictor for caring ability in emergency nurses. Content analysis revealed 3 themes: (1) I Love My Job But… (2) Quantity Versus Quality: I Want What is Best, But I Cannot Provide it; and (3) The Abuse: Make it Stop. The results from the qualitative strand in this study confirmed the quantitative findings. Given that compassion satisfaction had the highest predictive value for caring ability, this variable was quantitized from the qualitative strand with 30% of participants endorsing feeling compassion satisfaction in their qualitative information. Discussion: This novel study concludes that promoting the nurse's purpose in their work, meaning and joy in their work, and feelings of pleasure in their work has the potential to augment their caring ability resulting in a greater likelihood of quality outcomes for patients in the emergency department.