Risk of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Emergency nurses face heightened vulnerability to compassion fatigue due to chronic exposure to trauma and high-stress environments, potentially compromising both their well-being and patient care quality. However, comprehensive syntheses of its prevalence and modifiable factors...

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Main Authors: Yunyun Pan, Xiaoyou Wang, Wanglu Jin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-08-01
Series:BMC Emergency Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-025-01314-9
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author Yunyun Pan
Xiaoyou Wang
Wanglu Jin
author_facet Yunyun Pan
Xiaoyou Wang
Wanglu Jin
author_sort Yunyun Pan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Emergency nurses face heightened vulnerability to compassion fatigue due to chronic exposure to trauma and high-stress environments, potentially compromising both their well-being and patient care quality. However, comprehensive syntheses of its prevalence and modifiable factors remain limited. Methods Observational studies on the risk and factors influencing the occurrence of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses were included by searching the CNKI, Wanfang, Vip, China Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of science databases from inception to December 2024. Data were statistically analysed using RevMan 5. 2 software. Results Eleven cross-sectional studies were included, with seven (n = 2,385 nurses) reporting risk estimates. Random-effects meta-analysis indicated significantly elevated compassion fatigue risk (OR = 3.48, 95%CI:1.66–7.30, P = 0.001). Subgroup analysis indicated numerically higher risk among Chinese nurses (OR = 4.33, 95%CI:2.12–8.86, P < 0.0001) versus US nurses (OR = 1.73, 95%CI:0.16–19.11, P = 0.65), though without significant subgroup differences (P = 0.47). Descriptive analysis showed that factors such as personal characteristics and work-related factors were associated with compassion fatigue. Conclusion There is a high risk of developing compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses. While point estimates suggested higher risk in China than the US, this difference lacked statistical significance. Factors such as personal characteristics and work-related factors were associated with compassion fatigue.
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spelling doaj-art-2d79f52b5f074e1c8f481c01d8c24d702025-08-20T04:01:52ZengBMCBMC Emergency Medicine1471-227X2025-08-012511810.1186/s12873-025-01314-9Risk of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysisYunyun Pan0Xiaoyou Wang1Wanglu Jin2Department of Emergency, Shaoxing Second HospitalDepartment of Emergency, Shaoxing Second HospitalDepartment of Emergency, Shaoxing Second HospitalAbstract Background Emergency nurses face heightened vulnerability to compassion fatigue due to chronic exposure to trauma and high-stress environments, potentially compromising both their well-being and patient care quality. However, comprehensive syntheses of its prevalence and modifiable factors remain limited. Methods Observational studies on the risk and factors influencing the occurrence of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses were included by searching the CNKI, Wanfang, Vip, China Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of science databases from inception to December 2024. Data were statistically analysed using RevMan 5. 2 software. Results Eleven cross-sectional studies were included, with seven (n = 2,385 nurses) reporting risk estimates. Random-effects meta-analysis indicated significantly elevated compassion fatigue risk (OR = 3.48, 95%CI:1.66–7.30, P = 0.001). Subgroup analysis indicated numerically higher risk among Chinese nurses (OR = 4.33, 95%CI:2.12–8.86, P < 0.0001) versus US nurses (OR = 1.73, 95%CI:0.16–19.11, P = 0.65), though without significant subgroup differences (P = 0.47). Descriptive analysis showed that factors such as personal characteristics and work-related factors were associated with compassion fatigue. Conclusion There is a high risk of developing compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses. While point estimates suggested higher risk in China than the US, this difference lacked statistical significance. Factors such as personal characteristics and work-related factors were associated with compassion fatigue.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-025-01314-9Emergency service, hospitalNursesCompassion fatigueSystematic reviewMeta-analysis
spellingShingle Yunyun Pan
Xiaoyou Wang
Wanglu Jin
Risk of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis
BMC Emergency Medicine
Emergency service, hospital
Nurses
Compassion fatigue
Systematic review
Meta-analysis
title Risk of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full Risk of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_fullStr Risk of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Risk of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_short Risk of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_sort risk of compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses a systematic review and meta analysis
topic Emergency service, hospital
Nurses
Compassion fatigue
Systematic review
Meta-analysis
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-025-01314-9
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AT wanglujin riskofcompassionfatigueamongemergencydepartmentnursesasystematicreviewandmetaanalysis