Compassionate Care: Correlation and Predictors of Nurses’ and Patients’ Opinions

Background: Compassion has also been defined as acknowledgment and engagement with one's own suffer and the suffering of others, together with a deep commitment to work towards alleviating and preventing that suffering. This definition highlights two psychological components of compassion that provide a direction for the therapy. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the correlation and predictors of nurses’ and patients’ opinions about compassion in Beni-Suef city. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used in conducting the study. Setting: This research was conducted at Beni-Suef University Hospital, General Hospital, as well as Continuing/Long-term care and Home Health Care (HHC) services. Sample: 140 nurses being employed in the current health care facility for at least one year were eligible for inclusion in the study sample and all elderly (140) patients receiving care in the above-mentioned settings. Tools: Two tools have been used to gather data; 1) Structured questionnaire interview sheet included data related to socio-demographic characteristics for nurses and patients. 2) Compassionate Care Scale. Results: Statistically significant moderate positive correlations were identified among nurses’ scores of compassionate care attitude, practice, and confidence. Nurses’ scores of compassionate care confidence and practice had statistically significant weak positive correlations with their qualification, and negative correlations with their age and experience. The unmarried status of the nurse was the only statistically significant independent negative predictor of the compassionate care attitude score. A strong statistically significant negative correlation between patients’ scores of opinions about patient expectations and nurses’ attitude toward compassionate care (r=-0.900). Conclusion: The study findings concluded a strongest correlation between the scores of nurse competence and caring attributes. A strong statistically significant negative correlation between patients’ scores of opinions about patient expectations and nurses’ attitude toward compassionate care was found. Recommendations: Replication of this study on a large representative probability sample is highly recommended to achieve more generalization of the results for further research. The impact of such training interventions on elderly patients’ opinions about compassionate care should also be investigated.