Frontline nurses' compassion fatigue and associated predictive factors during the second wave of COVID-19 in Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated contextual factors of compassion fatigue in nurses in Kampala.

Design: This study employed a cross-sectional study design.

Methods: Participants included 395 nurses. They provided details about their demographic information. Stamm's Professional Quality of Life V-5 was used to assess the levels of compassion fatigue. Statistical analysis included Pearson's chi-square and Fischer's exact test, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. A p-value of <.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Of the total 395 participants, 58.23% (N = 230) were female, 39.76% had a diploma, 47.09% were single, 43.54% had worked for 11-15 years, 54.94% had an exposure to COVID-19 cases and 43.54% worked for more than 10 hr a day. 49.11% had high levels of compassion fatigue. The predictors of compassion fatigue were working experience (p-value = <.001), exposure to COVID-19 (p-value = <.019), long working hours (p-value = .003) and remuneration (p-value = <.001).

Keywords: COVID-19; compassion fatigue; nurses; remuneration.