Staff Education to Reduce Compassion Fatigue in Acute Care Staff Nurses

Compassion fatigue (CF), burnout, and moral distress are common in high-acuity nursing environments, yet nurses are rarely taught how to recognize or manage these challenges. The guiding question for this staff education project was about whether education focused on CF and mindfulness-based coping strategies would improve nurses’ knowledge and attitudes in an acute care VA medical center. Posteducation results (n = 20) showed meaningful, statistically significant improvements. Familiarity with CF increased from baseline (M = 2.35; SD = 1.04) to post implementation (M = 3.75; SD = .91), t(19) = −5.085, p < .001. Confidence in recognizing CF in oneself improved from baseline (M = 2.6; SD = .875) to post implementation (M = 3.60; SD = .821), p = .004. Confidence in recognizing CF in colleagues increased from baseline (M = 2.40; SD = .821) to postimplementation (M = 3.15; SD = .671), p = .012. Agreement that seeking help is a sign of weakness decreased from baseline (M = 2.00; SD = .503) to postimplementation (M = 1.40; SD = .951), p = .024. Although perceptions of organizational support did not change, nurses reported greater use of mindfulness, peer support, and boundary setting, supporting nurse wellbeing and psychological safety. Several recommendations emerge from this project. CF education should be integrated into routine staff development, annual competencies, and onboarding for new nurses. By reducing stigma around seeking help and promoting peer awareness, this work supports fostering a workplace culture where all nurses feel safe, supported, and valued, a positive social change.