Reflective practice and compassion fatigue among hemodialysis specialist nurses in Inner Mongolia: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

To describe reflective practice and compassion fatigue among hemodialysis specialist nurses in Inner Mongolia and examine their association.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional online survey from August to October 2025 using convenience sampling. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Chinese Reflective Practice Questionnaire, and the 36-item Compassion Fatigue Scale for Healthcare Workers. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Spearman correlations, and exploratory multiple linear regression were used.

RESULTS

Among 249 participants, the mean reflective practice score was 148.29 ± 27.81 and the mean compassion fatigue score was 72.39 ± 22.29 (mean item score, 2.01 ± 0.62). Reflective practice was inversely correlated with compassion fatigue (r = -0.436, p < 0.01). In the regression model, associate chief nurses had lower reflective practice scores than nurses (B = -24.405, 95% CI - 42.105 to -6.706, p = 0.007), and higher compassion fatigue scores were associated with lower reflective practice scores (B = -0.586, 95% CI - 0.727 to -0.444, p < 0.001). The overall model fit was R2 = 0.237, adjusted R2 = 0.200, F(11, 237) = 6.692, p < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

Reflective practice and compassion fatigue were inversely associated in this sample. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed before temporal, causal, or intervention effects can be inferred.