Compassionate Care: Can it be Defined and Measured? The Development of the Compassionate Care Assessment Tool

Compassion has not been universally defined or understood, nonetheless is recognized as a component of nursing excellence. If compassionate care is routine in health care delivery models, nursing behaviors and actions that exemplify compassion ought to be easily identifiable to patients. To address this gap and ascertain the importance of compassionate care to patients, a Compassionate Care Assessment Tool (CCAT) was formulated. The CCAT was administered to 250 hospitalized patients. Patients were asked to rate (a) the importance of these items to compassionate care and (b) the extent to which nurses made this type of care apparent to them. Four categorical segments illustrated compassion from the patients' perspective: the ability to establish meaningful connections, meet expectations, exhibit caring attributes, and function as a capable practitioner. The provision of compassionate care requires a holistic approach. Patients value nurses forming personal connections, serving as their advocates, and responding to their individual needs.