The Influence of ICU Nurses’ Compassion Competence and Ethical Nursing Competence on Person-centered Critical Care Nursing in a Tertiary Hospital Purpose: This study aimed to identify the levels of compassion competence, ethical nursing competence, ...
The Influence of ICU Nurses’ Compassion Competence and Ethical Nursing Competence on Person-centered Critical Care Nursing in a Tertiary Hospital Purpose: This study aimed to identify the levels of compassion competence, ethical nursing competence, and person-centered critical care nursing among ICU nurses in a tertiary hospital, and to examine the influence of compassion competence and ethical nursing competence on person-centered critical care nursing. Methods: A descriptive correlational study design was used. Participants were 121 ICU nurses with at least six months of ICU experience at a tertiary hospital. Data were collected from January 9 to January 30, 2026, using structured self-report questionnaires. Instruments included the Compassion Competence Scale, the Ethical Nursing Competence Self-rating Scale for Clinical Nurses, and the Person-centered Critical Care Nursing Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis with SPSS 30.0. Results: The mean scores were 3.81±0.43 for compassion competence, 3.16±0.33 Park Jin-i Advisor : Prof. Kang, Hee-Young, Ph.D. Department of Nursing, Graduate School of Chosun University for ethical nursing competence, and 3.61±0.46 for person-centered critical care nursing. Person-centered critical care nursing was positively correlated with compassion competence (r=.79, p<.001) and ethical nursing competence (r=.58, p<.001). In the regression analysis, compassion competence was a significant factor associated with person-centered critical care nursing (β=.70, p<.001). In the subdomain-level regression analysis, communication of compassion competence (β=.54, p<.001) and insight of compassion competence (β=.18, p=.030) were significant factors associated with person-centered critical care nursing. Sensitivity of compassion competence and the subdomains of ethical nursing competence were not significant in the final model. The model accounted for 63.0% of the variance (F=21.47, p<.001). Conclusion: Compassion competence was significantly associated with person-centered critical care nursing among ICU nurses. In particular, communication and insight of compassion competence were identified as significant related factors. Although ethical nursing competence was positively correlated with person-centered critical care nursing, it was not significant in the final regression model. These findings suggest that educational strategies aimed at improving person-centered critical care nursing should focus on strengthening compassion-based practical competencies, especially the ability to communicate with patients whose expression is limited and to understand patients’ situations and unexpressed needs. Key words: Compassion; Ethics, Nursing; Intensive Care Units; Patient-Centered Care