Relation of Compassionate Competence to Burnout, Job Stress, Turnover Intention, Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment for Oncology Nurses in Korea

Background: Nursing focuses on the development of an empathic relationship between the nurse and the patients. Compassionate competence, in particular, is a very important trait for oncology nurses. The current study sought to determine the degree of compassionate competence in oncology nurses, as well as to determine the relationships between compassionate competence, burnout, job stress, turnover intention, degrees of job satisfaction, and organizational commitment in oncology nurses. Materials and Methods: A descriptive correlational study evaluating the relationships between compassionate competence, burnout, job stress, turnover intention, degrees of job satisfaction, and organizational commitment in 419 oncology nurses was conducted between January 30 and February 20, 2015. Results: The average score of compassionate competence for oncology nurses in the current study was higher than for clinical nurses. Conclusions: The correlational analysis between compassionate competence and organizational commitment, burnout, job stress, turnover intention, and degree of job satisfaction revealed a high correlation between compassionate competence and positive job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Conclusions: Compassionate competence was higher in oncology nurses than in nurses investigated in previous studies and positively correlated with work experience. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment in nurses may be improved through compassionate competence enhancement programs that employ a variety of experiences.