CN94 - The effect of a compassion fatigue resiliency program on oncology-hematology nurses' professional quality of life, stress levels and patients' care satisfaction: Nurse, patient and nurse manager’s perspectives

Background

Compassion fatigue adversely affects nurses’ physical and mental health, and negatively affect patient outcomes. However, there is no study evaluating the indirect effect of ‘Compassion Fatigue Resiliency Program (CFRP)’, given to nurses, on patient satisfaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the CFRP applied to oncology nurses on the professional quality of life and stress levels of nurses, the satisfaction of cancer patients.

Methods

This experimental embedded mixed methods design study was conducted between 2022-2023 with 15 oncology nurses, 19 cancer patients and 6 nurse managers at a comprehensive oncology center in Istanbul. In the first phase of the three-stage study (pre-intervention phase), in-depth individual interviews were conducted with cancer patients, and instruments were applied to nurses and patients, respectively. In the second phase (intervention phase), CFRP was applied to the nurses. In the third phase (post-intervention phase), individual interviews were conducted with the same cancer patients and focus group interviews were conducted with the nurse managers, and the same measurement tools were reapplied to nurses and patients after the intervention.

Results

The mean compassion satisfaction scores of nurses decreased; patient care satisfaction scores increased statistically significantly after the CFRP intervention (p<0.05). 6 themes were identified from interviews with patients: communication of nurses; level of responsiveness to needs; accessibility of nurses; psychological care; informing, suggestions for improving nursing; and 5 themes were identified from interviews with nurse managers: awareness; feeling valued, approach to patients, approach to colleagues, no change.

Conclusions

After the CFRP applied to nurses, patient care satisfaction increased, while nurses' compassion satisfaction levels decreased. The qualitative data of the study showed the positive effects of CFRP for both nurses and patients from the perspective of nurses, patients and nurse managers.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.