The Impact of Caring for COVID-19 Patients on Compassion and Burnout at Two New York Hospitals

Compassion fatigue and burnout are prevalent in nursing, which is widely recognized as a stressful profession. The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the awareness and prevalence of compassion fatigue and burnout in nursing, which may contribute to nurses leaving patient-facing roles. The aim of this study was to describe and compare compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout among nursing staff at two New York hospitals—a community Magnet hospital and a tertiary care non-Magnet hospital—following a prolonged period of caring for patients with COVID-19. Compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout were measured using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale. There was no statistically significant difference between hospitals in compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue, however the community hospital had a significantly higher level of burnout, which could be attributed to the younger age and fewer years of experience among nurses at that facility.