Understanding Compassion Fear in Nursing: A Literature Review

Abstract

Compassion, traditionally an integral part of nursing, is now often conflated with the growing evidence that nurses experience fear of giving and receiving compassion. While compassion has long been recognised as one of the cornerstones of nursing care, recent literature points to a growing phenomenon in which nurses experience fear in giving and receiving compassion. Socio-demographic characteristics, psychological factors, and childhood trauma experiences are considered as factors influencing fear of compassion. The negative correlations between fear of compassion and mental health and physiological responses that this fear has a far-reaching impact on nursing professionals. Furthermore, the association of fear of compassion with professional commitment, burnout, empathy, and patient care satisfaction emphasises its complexity as a personal and professional challenge. Understanding compassion and compassion fear is essential for fostering an empathetic healthcare environment and promoting a holistic, patient-centred approach to healthcare, aligning with the core values of nursing. The review emphasises the need to acknowledge compassion and compassion fear as a nursing problem. It calls for further research to explore interventions, assess the impact of compassion fear on patient outcomes, and develop strategies to enhance compassionate care within the nursing profession.

Keywords

• Compassion
• compassion fear
• nursing profession

References

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