Does COVID-19 Revamp Nurses’ Compassion? Post-Pandemic Approach in Qatar

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to identify self-compassion among staff nurses after the COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar. Design: Descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Methods: Anonymous data were collected through an online survey using Microsoft Forms from 300 nurses in 14 health facilities in Qatar. The organization had almost 10,000 nursing staff working in different facilities. Data were gathered using a structured online questionnaire and included socio-demographic information, and the Self-Compassion Scale—Short Form was used to collect the remaining data. Correlation, t-test, and ANOVA analyses were conducted. Results: Nurses in the study showed high self-compassion. Among the sub-domain ‘mindfulness’, they showed comparatively high scores (7.96 ± 1.55), and the lowest score was for ‘isolation’ (6.15 ± 1.99). The score for ‘self-kindness’ was 7.29 ± 1.55, that for ‘self-judgement’ was 6.79 ± 2.01, that for ‘common humility’ was 6.62 ± 1.47, and that for the sub-domain ‘over-identified’ was 6.47 ± 1.91. Mindfulness scores were high among the nurse leaders. Moreover, over-identified scores were high among the nurses who were currently working under COVID-19 at the time of data collection. Conclusions: Nurses faced many difficulties while working during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a heavy workload and tension. The current study’s findings add to our understanding of how COVID-19 affected the development of self-compassion. A rise in mindfulness, which aids nurses in managing stress at work and building resilience, further underscores an increase in nurses’ acceptance of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also highlight how crucial it is to encourage self-compassion in individuals and offer them emotional support at such times, especially when there is a significant risk factor for mental health, such as COVID-19.