Effect of Coping Styles on Compassion Fatigue: The Mediating Role of Problem-Solving Abilities Among Paediatric Nurses.

AIM: To identify associations of problem-solving abilities, coping styles and compassion fatigue among paediatric nurses and further explore whether problem-solving abilities can play a mediating role.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

The study surveyed 552 nurses working in a public hospital in Hubei Province, China. The data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods, Pearson correlation analysis and the PROCESS macro in the regression analysis.

RESULTS

The results of the mediated effect showed that paediatric nurses' coping style positively associated with compassion fatigue and problem-solving ability, as a mediating variable, indirectly associated with compassion fatigue. Problem-solving ability accounted for a significant portion of the association between compassion fatigue and coping style in paediatric nurses (95% CI 0.1158-0.3081) with an indirect association proportion of 46.7%.

CONCLUSION

Positive coping styles were associated with lower compassion fatigue in paediatric nurses and accounted for variance in compassion fatigue through problem-solving abilities. Enhancing paediatric nurses' critical thinking can change the pattern of nurses' thinking about problems in their work, thus increasing nurses' satisfaction with nursing care and establishing a good relationship between the patient and health care.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study involves no patient or public contribution.