Burnout and compassion competency to explain job satisfaction among nurses working in intensive care units or emergency rooms

Purpose : This study aimed to examine the relationships of burnout and compassion competency with job satisfaction among nurses working in the intensive care units and emergency rooms.Methods : A correlational survey was conducted from August 1 to August 14, 2018 and involved in 102 nurses working at four university hospitals for more than 1 year. A structured questionnaire was used to measure burnout, compassion competency, and job satisfaction, and data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression and mediation effect analysis.Results : The mean scores of burnout, compassion competency, and job satisfaction were 2.58, 4.35, and 2.95, respectively. Burnout and compassion competency along with working night shifts and a wish to transfer explained 35.3% of variance in job satisfaction. Compassion competency showed a small but significant mediating effect in the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction (indirect effect -.0446, 95% CI -.1133, -.0075).Conclusion : Burnout and compassion competency were the significant influencing factors of job satisfaction among nurses working in intensive care units and emergency rooms. Since compassion competency showed a significant mediating effect, further studies should focus on intervention strategies for compassion competency to improve job satisfaction in this population.