The relationships among factors affecting compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout in Japanese nurses: A cross-sectional study.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationships among factors affecting compassion fatigue/secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion satisfaction in Japanese nurses, focusing on self-compassion, fears of compassion, and attachment styles.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study enrolled 400 clinical nurses (aged ≥20 years) in Japan, registered with an online survey company, from June 6 to June 26, 2021. The subjects completed a web-based questionnaire that assessed compassion fatigue/secondary traumatic stress, burnout, compassion satisfaction, self-compassion, fears of compassion for self, anxiety, and avoidance. Additionally, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis and path analysis were performed to examine the relationships among the influencing factors.

Results: Compassion fatigue/secondary traumatic stress was influenced by anxiety and fears of compassion for self (R² = .31). Burnout was affected by compassion fatigue/secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction, self-compassion, anxiety, and avoidance (R² = .63). Compassion satisfaction was impacted by self-compassion, anxiety, and fears of compassion for self (R² = .31). Additionally, self-compassion (R² = .28) and fears of compassion for self (R² = .55) were influenced by anxiety and avoidance.

Conclusions: Compassion fatigue/secondary traumatic stress leads to burnout, whereas compassion satisfaction moderates burnout. Furthermore, there were associations among the factors leading to compassion fatigue/secondary traumatic stress and burnout and compassion satisfaction. Therefore, an approach that enhances self-compassion and promotes the development of a stable attachment style could mitigate compassion fatigue/secondary traumatic stress and fears of compassion for self while moderately maintaining and improving compassion satisfaction.