The effect of nurses' professional quality of life on attitudes toward organ donation: a structural equation modeling approach.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between nurses' professional quality of life and their attitudes toward organ donation. Specifically, the research evaluated the effects of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and compassion fatigue on nurses' degree of humanity and moral convictions, fear of medical neglect, and fear of bodily mutilation related to organ donation.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 696 nurses working in public and private hospitals in Ankara, Türkiye. The participants were selected via an online survey using a non-probability sampling approach. Data were collected consisting of three sections: a sociodemographic information form, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), and the Organ Donation Attitude Scale (ODAS). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the hypothesized relationships.

Results: According to the structural equation modeling results, compassion satisfaction positively influenced humanity and moral conviction (β = 0.203; p < 0.001) and negatively influenced both fear of medical neglect (β=-0.287; p < 0.001) and fear of bodily mutilation (β=-0.167; p < 0.005). Burnout negatively affected humanity and moral conviction (β=-0.387; p < 0.001), positively affected fear of medical neglect (β = 0.280; p < 0.001), and had no significant effect on fear of bodily mutilation (β = 0.047; p > 0.005). Contrary to initial expectations, compassion fatigue showed unexpected associations: while it was hypothesized to negatively relate to humanity and moral conviction, it instead exhibited a positive effect (β = 0.154; p < 0.005), leading to the rejection of the corresponding hypothesis. Compassion fatigue also positively impacted fear of bodily mutilation (β = 0.545; p < 0.001), whereas its hypothesized positive impact on fear of medical neglect was not supported (β=-0.053; p > 0.005).

Conclusions: Nurses' professional quality of life significantly influences their attitudes toward organ donation. Enhancing compassion satisfaction and reducing burnout and compassion fatigue among nurses can foster positive attitudes and reduce fears regarding organ donation. However, limitations include the cross-sectional design, the single geographic scope, and reliance on self-report measures, which may affect generalizability. Further longitudinal research and intervention studies are recommended to validate these findings and develop effective strategies for improving organ donation attitudes among healthcare professionals.