Effect of Coping Styles on Compassion Fatigue: The Mediating Role of Problem‐Solving Abilities Among Paediatric Nurses

AIM: To identify associations of problem-solving abilities, coping styles and compassion fatigue among paediatric nurses and further explore whether problem-solving abilities can play a mediating role. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: The study surveyed 552 nurses working in a public hospital in Hubei Province, China. The data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods, Pearson correlation analysis and the PROCESS macro in the regression analysis. RESULTS: The results of the mediated effect showed that paediatric nurses' coping style positively associated with compassion fatigue and problem-solving ability, as a mediating variable, indirectly associated with compassion fatigue. Problem-solving ability accounted for a significant portion of the association between compassion fatigue and coping style in paediatric nurses (95% CI 0.1158-0.3081) with an indirect association proportion of 46.7%. CONCLUSION: Positive coping styles were associated with lower compassion fatigue in paediatric nurses and accounted for variance in compassion fatigue through problem-solving abilities. Enhancing paediatric nurses' critical thinking can change the pattern of nurses' thinking about problems in their work, thus increasing nurses' satisfaction with nursing care and establishing a good relationship between the patient and health care. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study involves no patient or public contribution.