Nurses’ Experiences and Expectations for Compassionate Leadership and Compassion in the Working Community - A Qualitative Study
Abstract Background Nurses caring for critically ill patients need compassionate attention and support, especially during exceptional times, such as the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic. The aim of this study was to provide a trustworthy description of nurses’ experiences and expectations for compassionate leadership and compassion at a central hospital in Finland.Methods The participants were 50 nurses in intensive care and emergency departments of a central hospital. An online survey tool with open questions was used to collect data on the meaning of compassion and experiences of compassion and compassionate leadership in the working community. Results The nurses reported a great variety of positive experiences of compassion in the working community, although the emphasis in this study seemed to be on the absence of compassion, especially as regards leadership. The nurses expected individual attention and genuine physical and psychological presence from their immediate supervisors.ConclusionsCompassion can be regarded as social capital, essential for nurses’ coping and wellbeing in clinical nursing characterized by constant changes and critical situations. Immediate supervisors have a crucial role in promoting a compassionate atmosphere. They can express compassion by being physically present and by fostering an open dialogue in the working community.