Articles

Oncology nurses are more likely to get compassion fatigue (CF) than nurses in other fields because of the emotional stress and poor outlook of cancer patients. Because of this, the care might not be very good, the job might not be very satisfying, and there is a good chance that the patient's pain won't be noticed. <b>Aim.</b> To synthesize empirical evidence on compassion fatigue in order to extract the common, central, and fundamental elements that may improve nursing care. Design. An integrative review <b>Results.</b> Fifteen (15) studies met the eligibility criteria wherein five themes emerged. These are the level of compassion fatigue among oncology nurses, the oncology nurses' perspectives on compassion fatigue, precipitating factors leading to CF with 2 subthemes (work environment and a feeling of lack of support), the influence of compassion fatigue on the personal lives and general well-being of cancer nurses, and the consequences on the quality of oncology nurses' professional lives at work. <b>Conclusion.</b> CF is a significant problem for nurses who work in specialized areas such as cancer units, demonstrated as a basic incapacity to nurture others. The integration of studies provides evidence of clinical practice application which can provide better outcomes and improve nursing care<b>. Implications for Practice.</b> The findings provide understanding into healthcare practice on how to avoid compassion fatigue. Clinical management approaches that can mitigate compassion fatigue and its negative repercussions are presented, as well as the formation of peer support groups that have the ability to ameliorate CF.