ArticleBMC nursing2024
The dual roles of empathy in mediating structural empowerment and compassion fatigue among Chinese nurses.
Article in BMC nursing, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Structural and psychological empowerment in relation to nurse job satisfaction and burnout: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC health services research · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of Subdomains of Affective and Cognitive Empathy on Burnout Syndrome in Nurses: A Meta-Analysis.International nursing review · 2026Pooled it
- Analysis of the current status and influencing factors of structural empowerment among clinical nurses: A cross-sectional study.Medicine · 2026Article
- Consequences of compassion fatigue in palliative care nurses: the experience of meaninglessness and emptiness in life.BMC palliative care · 2026Article
- Buffering the effects of work stress on anxiety and depression: a moderated mediation model of physical activity enjoyment and sleep disturbance in China.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Articulating Grief: Arts-Based Therapy as a Pathway to Resilience in Nursing Practice.International journal of mental health nursing · 2026Article
- When personal resources may not be enough: burnout, psychological capital, and empathy among pediatric nurses in a Chinese tertiary hospital - an explanatory sequential mixed methods study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Self-reflection and empathy in undergraduate nursing students: a network analysis.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Compassion in Healthcare: A Narrative Review of Cross-Cultural Perspectives.Journal of healthcare leadership · 2025Review
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Abstract
backgroundNurses in dynamic healthcare environments face escalating challenges that impact their efficacy and well-being. These challenges arise from both the increasing complexity of medical procedures and the intense emotional demands of caregiving, often leading to compassion fatigue. A global prevalence of burnout at 30.0% was observed over the past decade. This study examines the relationship between structural empowerment, empathy (cognitive and affective), and compassion fatigue among Chinese nurses. Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue. It also contributes to enhancing nurses' well-being.
methodsConducted at a public hospital in Shanghai, this cross-sectional study surveyed 305 nurses, with 277 valid responses. Structural empowerment was measured using the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II, empathy with the Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale, and compassion fatigue with the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale. We performed correlation and mediation analyses to explore the direct and indirect effects of structural empowerment on compassion fatigue through empathy.
resultsA significant negative direct effect of structural empowerment on compassion fatigue was evidenced by a coefficient of -0.165 (confidence interval: [-0.311, -0.013]). Further analysis revealed a negative indirect effect through cognitive empathy, indicated by an effect of -0.103 (confidence interval: [-0.220, -0.008]). Increased structural empowerment was linked to higher levels of cognitive empathy, which correlated with decreased compassion fatigue. Conversely, the mediation through affective empathy showed a positive indirect effect, indicated by an effect of 0.126 (confidence interval: [0.047, 0.229]). This suggests that higher structural empowerment was associated with increased affective empathy, leading to higher levels of compassion fatigue.
conclusionThe study illuminates the dual role of empathy within the framework of structural empowerment and its impact on compassion fatigue. Cognitive empathy serves as a protective factor, reducing susceptibility to compassion fatigue, while affective empathy appears to heighten vulnerability. These findings provide direct evidence supporting the dual processing pathways of empathy. It is recommended that healthcare policies integrate organizational support with targeted empathy training, such as cognitive reappraisal, emotion regulation, and peer support, to effectively counteract compassion fatigue among nurses. However, due to the cross-sectional nature and the single-hospital setting, the findings should be interpreted cautiously.
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