Healthcare providers' palliative care graded diagnosis and treatment behavior, attitudes, self-efficacy, compassion fatigue, and workplace well-being: A mediating moderation model.

BACKGROUND

Palliative care is essential for end-of-life (EOL) patient care. While prior research has acknowledged the role of self-efficacy in nursing, its specific mechanisms within graded diagnosis and treatment contexts remain underexplored.

AIMS: (1) To investigate the relationship between healthcare providers' attitudes and behaviors regarding palliative care, graded diagnosis, treatment and the mediating role of self-efficacy. (2) To explore whether self-efficacy moderates the effect of compassion fatigue on well-being at work.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted at two tertiary hospitals in Hubei Province, China, and data were collected from 900 healthcare providers in July and August 2023.

METHODS

Four validated self-report scales (Palliative Care Graded Diagnosis and Treatment Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior scale, Self-Efficacy Scale, Brief Compassion Fatigue Scale, and Nurses' Well-being at Work Scale) were used to collect data. Analyses were performed using SPSS PROCESS.

RESULTS

Significant correlations were found among healthcare providers' attitudes toward graded diagnosis and treatment, self-efficacy, and their behaviors. Healthcare providers' attitudes towards graded diagnosis and treatment predicted an increase in self-efficacy (β = 0.161, p < 0.001), which subsequently led to improved graded diagnosis and treatment behavior (β = 0.647, p < 0.001). Self-efficacy mediated 34.81% of the effect of attitudes on graded diagnosis and treatment behavior. Although significant correlations existed among healthcare providers' compassion fatigue, self-efficacy, and well-being at work, further analysis revealed that self-efficacy played a moderating role.

CONCLUSION

Self-efficacy plays a crucial role in palliative care graded diagnosis and treatment, moderating the relationship between compassion fatigue and well-being at work. This finding indicates that enhancing self-efficacy not only improves nursing practice in palliative care but also alleviates emotional stress and boosts professional well-being.