The relationship between compassion fatigue and professional identity among vocational undergraduate nursing interns: a cross-sectional network analysis

Nursing interns are prone to physical and mental exhaustion due to frequent exposure to patients’ suffering, the pressures of work, and the rigorous demands of their profession. These factors increase their risk of experiencing compassion fatigue (CF), which in turn hinders the development of their professional identity (PI) and may ultimately affect their intention to pursue a nursing career. Understanding the correlation between CF and PI is crucial for developing precise interventions. This study aimed to use the network analysis method to identify core nodes and bridge connections between CF and PI among vocational undergraduate nursing interns. This study used a cross-sectional design. Between January and May 2025, a total of 271 vocational undergraduate nursing interns were recruited and surveyed. The research instruments included a general information questionnaire, the Chinese Version of Compassion Fatigue-Short Scale, and the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nurse Students. Network analysis was conducted to examine the interconnections between CF and PI. Relevant network indices were calculated using R 4.2.3 software. Network analysis showed that “work-related disappointment” (JB_8) had the highest weighted centrality score in the CF cluster and the entire network, “professional happiness” (PS_5) ranked highest in the PI cluster, and “competence utilization” (RR_2) was the main bridge node in the CF–PI network. Negative associations mainly occurred between CF and PI nodes. Emotional exhaustion nodes occupy central positions in the CF network and are closely associated with diminished PI. These findings suggest that future interventions could target emotional exhaustion while enhancing the perceived value of nursing work to support PI and professional commitment.