The Mediating Effect of Professional Values on the Relationship Between Self-Leadership and Compassion Competence of Community Mental Health Nurses

Background: Compassion competence is a core nursing skill that is significant in understanding and alleviating the physical and mental distress of individuals. Self-leadership and nursing professional values are also reported as important factors in improving the clinical care practices of nurses and may have a positive effect on improving the compassion competence of nurses. However, there are few studies examining the relationship between these variables in community mental health nurses. Aim: This study investigated the mediating effect of professional values on the relationship between self-leadership and compassion competence of community mental health nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 121 community mental health nurses from 30 mental health welfare centers in South Korea. Participants completed self-report scales on self-leadership, nursing professional values, and compassion competence. Baron and Kenny's regression method and the Sobel test revealed significant mediating effects of nursing professional values on the relationship between self-leadership and compassion competence. Findings: Participants' mean compassion competence scores were 3.57 (SD = 0.45) on a 5-point scale. Compassion competence positively correlated with self-leadership (r = 0.67, P < .001) and nursing professional values (r = 0.60, P < .001). Nursing professional values played a partial mediating role in the relationship between self-leadership and compassion competence (Z = 3.23, P = .001). Conclusion: Compassion competence of community mental health nurses can be improved by promoting self-leadership and nursing professional values.