Balancing Care Under Pressure: Association of Workload and Burnout with Evidence-Based Compassionate Nursing Care in a Tertiary Hospital

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Background: Nurses serving in tertiary care hospitals usually encounter intense workload pressures that can cause burnout and a negative impact on the provision of evidence-based, compassionate nursing care. The connection between workload, burnout, and compassionate care is a critical factor in improving nurses’ well-being and patient outcomes, especially in understaffed health care facilities. Aim: To assess the level of workload, burnout, and evidence-based compassionate nursing care among nurses and to determine the relationship between these variables at Saidu Teaching Hospital, Swat. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 156 registered nurses, selected using the Raosoft sample size calculator from a population of 260 registered nurses. Structured, self-administered survey questionnaires were used to collect data on workload, burnout, and evidence-based compassionate nursing care. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The majority of the nurses had a moderate workload (50.0%), and burnout (46.8%). Compassionate care based on evidence was also found to be mostly moderate (51.9%). Workload was significantly positively correlated with burnout (r = 0.62, p < 0.01). The workload (r = -0.48, p < 0.01) and burnout (r = -0.55, p < 0.01) were also significantly negatively correlated with compassionate nursing care. Conclusion: The research shows that elevated workload and burnout are strongly correlated with low-quality, evidence-based compassionate nursing. Workload management and burnout prevention are organizational strategies required to improve nurses’ well-being and quality of care.