Prevalence and Predictors of Compassion Fatigue Among Critical Care Nurses in Palestinian Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Background : Compassion fatigue is a serious concern for nurses working in intensive care units, particularly in Palestine, where staff shortages, political unrest, and limited support systems intensify emotional strain. Although widely studied worldwide, it remains poorly understood in the Palestinian healthcare setting. This study fills a major gap in the Palestinian critical care literature, where compassion fatigue among ICU nurses has not been systematically measured or analyzed before. Methods: This cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire to assess compassion fatigue among 146 nurses working in emergency, critical care, and coronary care units across public, private, and non-profit hospitals. The survey measured emotional exhaustion, secondary trauma, and job satisfaction. Data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and correlation analyses. The instrument demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.946). Results: Participants reported a moderate level of compassion fatigue, with a mean score of 3.06. Workload and emotional exhaustion were identified as the most common stressors. No significant differences were found across gender, age, education level, or years of experience, indicating that compassion fatigue in this context is driven mainly by workplace rather than personal factors. Conclusions: Compassion fatigue remains a persistent problem among critical care nurses in Palestine, primarily due to organizational conditions. Hospitals should implement measures to ease workload pressures, strengthen emotional support systems, and provide targeted training to help nurses manage stress and maintain high-quality patient care.