The Relationship Between Self-compassion and Caring Behaviors of Nurses Working in Selected Hospitals Affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Patient care is the basis of the nursing profession, and the theoretical principles of nursing are based on understanding caring behaviors. Self-compassion can be a powerful source for these behaviors. This study aims to investigate the relationship between self-compassion and caring behaviors of Iranian nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 124 nurses working in selected hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences from March to May 2022. They were selected using a convenience sampling method. Data collection was done using a demographic/occupational form, Wolf’s caring behaviors inventory (CBI), and Neff’s self-compassion scale (SCS). After collecting the data, they were analyzed in SPSS software, vesion 22 using Spearman’s correlation test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and linear regression analysis.

The mean total score of CBI was 82.06±7.76, which is a relatively high score. The highest score was related to the dimension of knowledge and skill. The mean total score of SCS was 79.47±12.73. The results of the Spearman correlation test showed that the relationship between self-compassion and caring behaviors was positive and significant (P<0.05). Also, the linear regression model showed a significant and direct linear relationship between the two variables.

Self-compassion of nurses has a significant relationship with their caring behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the increase of self-compassion, their caring behaviors improve. It is recommended to teach nurses self-compassion skills to improve their caring behaviors.