Abstract
Professional nurses are extraordinary individuals who have chosen the nursing career to care for
patients with the intention of restoring health. At times, they are expected to provide quality patient
care under challenging circumstances, which may affect their own emotional, physical, and mental
well-being. Studies have revealed that professional nurses experience emotional and physical
exhaustion while caring for patients. This phenomenon has been greatly highlighted during the
recent COVID-19 pandemic, and compassion has become of great interest as it relates to patients
and nurses.
The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between professional nurses’
compassion fatigue and the impact on patient care in private hospital facilities.
Recommendations were formulated to enhance compassion satisfaction and quality patient care.
A quantitative, non-experimental research design was used in the study. The researcher employed
a pre-existing data collection instrument to determine respondents’ level of compassion fatigue
and included questions about nurses’ assessment of quality patient care. The study’s population
was professional nurses working in private hospitals’ medical and surgical wards. The researcher
used stratified sampling spread across four hospitals situated in urban areas of Johannesburg.
The collected data were analysed through statistical analysis, which included descriptive statistics,
exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and correlation analysis. During the research
process, validity and reliability were maintained. The ethical considerations of beneficence, nonmaleficence,
justice, and autonomy were also upheld for the population’s protection.
This study assisted in describing the effect of compassion fatigue and its impact on the care
professional nurses provide patients. The research findings suggest there is a correlation between
compassion fatigue and patient care. Overall, it was determined that professional nurses who
experience low to average levels of compassion fatigue provide good to excellent patient care.
Recommendations were provided to combat compassion fatigue, enhance compassion
satisfaction, and promote quality patient care.