Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the latent profiles of clinical nurse preceptors (CNPs)' compassion fatigue (CF), identify the influencing factors, and examine their association with work alienation. Between July and August 2025, 340 nurse preceptors from a tertiary grade A general hospital in Zhejiang Province were recruited as participants using convenience sampling. The Chinese version of the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5 (ProQOL-5) and the Work Alienation Scale (WAS) were used to assess compassion fatigue and work alienation, respectively. Demographic information was also collected from the participants. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was employed to identify potential profiles of compassion fatigue. After screening variables through univariate analysis and multicollinearity tests, multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the influencing factors. Furthermore, a one-way ANOVA was conducted to examine differences in work alienation among different potential profiles, and the results were interpreted based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model theoretical framework. A total of 320 CNPs were included in the final analysis. The findings of the latent profile analysis indicated that three latent profiles of CNPs' compassion fatigue were identified: high-satisfaction-low-exhaustion group (n = 56, 17.5%), moderate compassion fatigue group (n = 160, 50%), and severe exhaustion group (n = 104, 32.5%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that age, marital status, education, years of preceptorship, experience, employment type, and professional title were significant predictors of compassion fatigue among CNPs. There were statistically significant differences in the work alienation scores among the three latent profiles (P < 0.001). CNPs' compassion fatigue can be categorised into three types, with significant heterogeneity observed among them. Notable differences exist in work alienation among CNPs with different compassion fatigue types. These findings suggest that clinical managers and educators should develop targeted interventions and support systems based on these circumstances. Therefore, formulating such management strategies is crucial for alleviating work alienation among CNPs and will help improve nurse retention rates and the quality of clinical education.