The Cost of Caring: Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction and Quality of Life Among Nurses in Chronic Care Settings in Ghana.

AIM: To examine the effects of compassion satisfaction and burnout on the quality of life (QoL) of nurses working in chronic care settings.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional design.

METHODS

A simple random sampling approach was used to select 360 respondents (269 included in the analysis) from a targeted population of 650. Data were collected between February 2025 and June 2025 using validated tools to assess nurses' QoL, compassion satisfaction and burnout in chronic care units. Pearson correlation and Hayes' PROCESS Macro Mediation analyses were conducted at a p-value < 0.05.

RESULTS

The findings showed that respondents generally reported high compassion satisfaction (n = 42.43), moderate burnout and moderate quality of life (n = 2.73). Compassion satisfaction positively influenced QoL (β = 0.1402, p < 0.001), while emotional exhaustion negatively affected it (β = -0.0452, p < 0.0001). Burnout partially mediated the relationship between compassion satisfaction and QoL (F(4, 264) = 20.01, p < 0.001). The interaction term between compassion and age was also significant (β = -0.0207, p < 0.0479), indicating that age moderated the effects of compassion satisfaction on QoL.

CONCLUSION

Compassion satisfaction influenced the nurse's burnout and quality of life. The findings emphasise the importance of fostering a supportive work environment to allay burnout and enhance quality of life.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NURSING PROFESSION/OR PATIENT CARE: Interventions aimed at increasing compassion satisfaction could effectively reduce burnout and improve nurses' overall QoL. Nurse managers should also consider compassion-focused leadership and opportunities for meaningful patient engagement as part of a holistic approach to staff well-being.

IMPACT: The study's findings highlight the need to design mentorship programmes that foster compassion satisfaction to improve quality of life and, indirectly, cushion burnout. Early-career nurses could build resilience during formative professional years, thereby improving compassion satisfaction and quality of life.

REPORTING METHOD: STROBE checklist-guided reporting.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.