Asian Oncol Nurs.  2025 Dec;25(4):217-228. 10.5388/aon.2025.25.4.217.

A Study on Moral Distress, Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction, and Their Predictors among Nurses Caring for Patients with Cancer

• Hong S
• Kim Y
• Jung MS
• Lee Y
• Hong H
• Jeon M
• Cho MY
• Lee J

• KMID: 2575958
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2025.25.4.217

Abstract

Purpose
This paper aimed to investigate the levels and predictors of moral distress, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction among nurses caring for patients with cancer and to identify predictors for the variables.
Methods
A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study was conducted on 245 nurses from hospitals in South Korea. Data was collected through online surveys from May to June 2025. Variables were measured using the Korean version of the Moral Distress Scale-Revised and the Professional Quality of Life Scale-5. Data were analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analysis.
Results
Nurses reported moderate-to-high levels of moral distress, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction, with religious affiliation predicting lower moral distress. Nurses with 3~5 years of experience caring for cancer patients exhibited lower moral distress than those with less than 3 years of experience. Employment in tertiary hospitals and the availability of support programs were predictors of lower moral distress, while caring for cancer patients throughout one’s career predicted higher moral distress. Advanced practice nurses, nurses providing advanced clinical support, and nurses who had completed self-care education were predictors of greater compassion fatigue. In contrast, religious affiliation, having more than five years of nursing experience, and possession of additional oncology nursing certifications significantly explained the variance in compassion satisfaction among nurses.
Conclusion
Moral distress, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction varied by nurses’ personal and professional characteristics. Multilevel interventions, including structured self-care education and institutional support systems, are needed to alleviate emotional burden and promote professional well-being among oncology nurses.

Keyword

Nurses; Oncology nursing; Ethical dilemmas; Burnout; Professional, Job satisfaction