Understanding the Ethics of Compassion in Nursing: A Qualitative Exploration

Background Compassion is essential in patient care because ethical nursing relies on a commitment to the fundamental principles of a patient-centered approach. However, there are significant gaps in the understanding of its ethical foundations. This study aimed to explore nurses’ perspectives on the concept of ethical compassion. Methods This qualitative descriptive study adheres to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research Checklist. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 20 clinical nurses from different wards, selected through purposive sampling. MAXQDA was utilized to organize the data, and the analysis followed the principles of conventional content analysis. Findings The analysis resulted in four main categories and nine subcategories: Transcendental Altruistic Attitudes (including empathy and emotional comprehension, ethical compassion leads to professional care, and compassion as a source of ethical values), Interactive Compassion (consisting of the language of compassion and empathy-inclusive networks), Barriers to Ethical Compassion (such as work pressure and the inability to manage psychoemotional gaps), and Rainbow of Compassion (with songs of support for an effective organizational culture and cultural harmony). Conclusion Ethical compassion in nursing encompasses various dimensions such as altruism, empathy, and the influence of cultural and organizational factors. Although nurses value empathy, they face obstacles such as work pressure. This emphasizes the need for a supportive environment that fosters compassion and collaboration between healthcare professionals, which ultimately benefits patients and providers.