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. 2025 Jul 1;24(1):817.
doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-03385-2.

Compassion fatigue among nurses in neonatal intensive care units

Linda Welde Hagen  1 , I Rød  2   3 , N M Kynø  4 , B S Tandberg  5   6
Affiliations

Compassion fatigue among nurses in neonatal intensive care units

Linda Welde Hagen et al. BMC Nurs. .

Abstract

Background: Nurses in the neonatal intensive care units face continuous emotional demands as they care for critically ill infants and support distressed families. Repeated exposure to trauma and parental grief can lead to compassion fatigue - a state of emotional exhaustion that reduces the ability to empathize. The purpose of the study was to explore how nurses experience compassion fatigue while working in neonatal intensive care units.

Methods: Qualitative, exploratory design. Eleven individual interviews with nurses and nurse specialists were conducted in August and September in 2023, at three neonatal intensive care units in three different hospitals in Norway. The reflexive thematic analysis described by Braun and Clark was used to analyze the findings. COREQ guidelines were used to ensure the quality of the reported data.

Results: Two main themes with sub-themes reflecting the nurses` experiences were revealed. Theme 1: "The Voice of Compassion fatigue", with sub-themes: "A double burden of care" and "The Silent Stray of Responsibility", and Theme 2: "Perceived Consequences of Compassion Fatigue", with sub-theme: "Reaching the Bottom of the Container of Care". Perceived consequences affect the nurses physically and mentally and jeopardize their patient and private relationships.

Conclusion: Neonatal Nurses experience compassion fatigue due to emotional strain and the hidden burden of caring for critically ill infants and their families. This may lead to physical and psychological exhaustion, affecting both patient care and personal life. These findings highlight the need for systematic support to safeguard nurses' emotional well-being.

Trial and protocol registration: Not applicable.

Keywords: Compassion fatigue; Intensive care units, neonatal; Intensive care, neonatal; Neonatal intensive care nursing; Qualitative research.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: The study has been approved by the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research, Sikt (reference number 472751), as well as the data protection officer and the leaders of the units and hospital trusts involved. The participants were informed of their rights in writing and orally. The researchers were not involved in the recruitment process. Each participant provided verbal and written consent to participate before the interview commenced. Data collection and handling took place in accordance with research ethics guidelines [28] and the Declaration of Helsinki [29]. The first author, LWH, is employed in one of the NICUs where participants were recruited. Due to the sensitivity of the topic, and to avoid role conflict and ensure voluntary participation, five of the interviews were conducted by the third author (NMK) and the last author (BST). The interviewers were aware of the sensitivity of the topic and were attentive to the participants’ need for breaks during the interviews. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process: During preparation for this work, the author(s) used Microsoft CoPilot (Microsoft Redmond Campus, USA) to improve the paper’s language. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for it. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Overview of themes and sub-themes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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