The impact of support from emergency nurse organizations on compassion fatigue: the mediating role of psychological capital

BackgroundWith ongoing healthcare system reforms in China and escalating demands for emergency services, emergency nurses frequently face high-pressure, complex work environments. This increases their psychological burden. Additionally, limited healthcare resources at the grassroots level and high w...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daixun Xie, Xiaoqin Zhu, Xiurong Zhang, Zhaoquan Jiang, Tao Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1551381/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850144991552208896
author Daixun Xie
Xiaoqin Zhu
Xiurong Zhang
Zhaoquan Jiang
Tao Liu
author_facet Daixun Xie
Xiaoqin Zhu
Xiurong Zhang
Zhaoquan Jiang
Tao Liu
author_sort Daixun Xie
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundWith ongoing healthcare system reforms in China and escalating demands for emergency services, emergency nurses frequently face high-pressure, complex work environments. This increases their psychological burden. Additionally, limited healthcare resources at the grassroots level and high workloads heighten their vulnerability to compassion fatigue. Current research into the interplay between psychological capital, perceived organizational support, and compassion fatigue among emergency nurses is limited, particularly regarding the mediating role of psychological capital.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the relationship between organizational support, psychological capital, and compassion fatigue among emergency nurses. It specifically investigates the mediating role of psychological capital in the relationship between organizational support and compassion fatigue.MethodsA total of 466 emergency nurses from medical institutions in the Chengdu-Chongqing area were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, the Sense of Organizational Support Scale, and the Compassion Fatigue Scale. The correlations among these variables were analyzed using SPSS 26.0, and the mediating effects were tested using AMOS 26.0.ResultsThere is a significant negative correlation between psychological capital and compassion fatigue among emergency nurses (r = −0.309, P < 0.01), as well as between organizational support and compassion fatigue (r = −0.449, P < 0.01). Psychological capital acts as a partial mediator in the relationship between organizational support and compassion fatigue, with a mediating effect value of −0.169, accounting for 27% of the total effect.ConclusionThe findings indicate a significant association between psychological capital, perceived organizational support, and compassion fatigue among emergency nurses, with psychological capital playing a mediating role. Enhancing psychological capital and perceived organizational support for emergency nurses is an effective strategy for managing emotional stress at work. Healthcare institutions should implement targeted interventions to improve nursing service quality and promote the sustainable development of the nursing profession.
format Article
id doaj-art-e60403acc23948ab9a140a7705fbc6b4
institution OA Journals
issn 2296-2565
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Public Health
spelling doaj-art-e60403acc23948ab9a140a7705fbc6b42025-08-20T02:28:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-04-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15513811551381The impact of support from emergency nurse organizations on compassion fatigue: the mediating role of psychological capitalDaixun XieXiaoqin ZhuXiurong ZhangZhaoquan JiangTao LiuBackgroundWith ongoing healthcare system reforms in China and escalating demands for emergency services, emergency nurses frequently face high-pressure, complex work environments. This increases their psychological burden. Additionally, limited healthcare resources at the grassroots level and high workloads heighten their vulnerability to compassion fatigue. Current research into the interplay between psychological capital, perceived organizational support, and compassion fatigue among emergency nurses is limited, particularly regarding the mediating role of psychological capital.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the relationship between organizational support, psychological capital, and compassion fatigue among emergency nurses. It specifically investigates the mediating role of psychological capital in the relationship between organizational support and compassion fatigue.MethodsA total of 466 emergency nurses from medical institutions in the Chengdu-Chongqing area were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, the Sense of Organizational Support Scale, and the Compassion Fatigue Scale. The correlations among these variables were analyzed using SPSS 26.0, and the mediating effects were tested using AMOS 26.0.ResultsThere is a significant negative correlation between psychological capital and compassion fatigue among emergency nurses (r = −0.309, P < 0.01), as well as between organizational support and compassion fatigue (r = −0.449, P < 0.01). Psychological capital acts as a partial mediator in the relationship between organizational support and compassion fatigue, with a mediating effect value of −0.169, accounting for 27% of the total effect.ConclusionThe findings indicate a significant association between psychological capital, perceived organizational support, and compassion fatigue among emergency nurses, with psychological capital playing a mediating role. Enhancing psychological capital and perceived organizational support for emergency nurses is an effective strategy for managing emotional stress at work. Healthcare institutions should implement targeted interventions to improve nursing service quality and promote the sustainable development of the nursing profession.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1551381/fullemergency nursecompassion fatiguepsychological capitalorganizational supportmediating effect
spellingShingle Daixun Xie
Xiaoqin Zhu
Xiurong Zhang
Zhaoquan Jiang
Tao Liu
The impact of support from emergency nurse organizations on compassion fatigue: the mediating role of psychological capital
Frontiers in Public Health
emergency nurse
compassion fatigue
psychological capital
organizational support
mediating effect
title The impact of support from emergency nurse organizations on compassion fatigue: the mediating role of psychological capital
title_full The impact of support from emergency nurse organizations on compassion fatigue: the mediating role of psychological capital
title_fullStr The impact of support from emergency nurse organizations on compassion fatigue: the mediating role of psychological capital
title_full_unstemmed The impact of support from emergency nurse organizations on compassion fatigue: the mediating role of psychological capital
title_short The impact of support from emergency nurse organizations on compassion fatigue: the mediating role of psychological capital
title_sort impact of support from emergency nurse organizations on compassion fatigue the mediating role of psychological capital
topic emergency nurse
compassion fatigue
psychological capital
organizational support
mediating effect
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1551381/full
work_keys_str_mv AT daixunxie theimpactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital
AT xiaoqinzhu theimpactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital
AT xiurongzhang theimpactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital
AT zhaoquanjiang theimpactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital
AT taoliu theimpactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital
AT daixunxie impactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital
AT xiaoqinzhu impactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital
AT xiurongzhang impactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital
AT zhaoquanjiang impactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital
AT taoliu impactofsupportfromemergencynurseorganizationsoncompassionfatiguethemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapital