Examination of the relationship between compassion fatigue and life satisfaction in midwives, Kars province, Turkey

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Compassion fatigue can turn the caregiver into a tired, discontented, desperate and hopeless person with regard to his/her condition or life. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between compassion fatigue and life satisfaction in midwives. METHODS This research was planned as a descriptive and correlational study. The data of the research were collected face-to-face by the researchers between January and March 2019 in Kars, Turkey. The ‘Personal Information Form', ‘Compassion Fatigue Scale' and ‘Life Satisfaction Scale' were used in data collection. The whole population (119) was included in the study without sample selection. RESULTS Of the midwives who participated in the study, 49.6% were aged 20-29 years, 81.5% were university graduates, 13.4% were working in obstetrics, 21.0% in gynecology, 34.5% in the delivery room, and 31.1% in a family health center. The life satisfaction mean score (±SD) of the midwives was 15.05±4.0, while the compassion fatigue mean score was found to be 3.68±0.40. No significance was found between the midwives' sociodemographic characteristics, compassion fatigue, and life satisfaction mean scores. CONCLUSIONS In such a profession in which workload and responsibility are heavy and affect the quality of care, not having compassion fatigue is important for the health of the mother and child.