Further research is needed to explore the country and culture differences in the enactment of compassion.

Background Compassion is considered the cornerstone of nursing practice. However, the recent failures in delivering high‐quality compassionate nursing care in the UK's National Health Service have brought the topic of compassion to the attention of the public, service providers, policy makers and academics. Aim The aim of this study was to explore the nurses’ views and experiences of a number of compassion‐related issues in nursing and describe similarities and differences at an international level as well as from the different nursing roles of the participating nurses. Methods An exploratory, cross‐sectional descriptive study, using the International Online Compassion Questionnaire. A total of 1323 nurses from 15 countries completed the questionnaire. Results The majority of participants (59.5%) defined compassion as “Deep awareness of the suffering of others and wish to alleviate it” but definitions of compassion varied by country. Of participants, 69.6% thought compassion was very important in nursing and more than half (59.6%) of them argued that compassion could be taught. However, only 26.8% reported that the correct amount and level of teaching is provided. The majority of the participants (82.6%) stated that their patients prefer knowledgeable nurses with good interpersonal skills. Only 4.3% noted that they are receiving compassion from their managers. A significant relationship was found between nurses’ experiences of compassion and their views about teaching of compassion. Conclusion Our study is unique in identifying the views and experiences of nurses from 15 different countries worldwide. The findings reveal that compassion is neither addressed adequately in nursing education nor supported in the practice environment by managers. Limitations Self‐report bias was inherent to our survey study design. Furthermore, the individual cultural differences and similarities in the findings are difficult to extrapolate owing to the fact that our analysis was at country level, as well as at the level of the participating nurses. Implications for nursing policy Understanding the influence of culture on nurses’ views about compassion is critical in the current multicultural healthcare environment and merits further research. This will potentially drive changes in nursing education (ensuring that compassion is taught to nurses) and in the way healthcare leaders and managers foster a compassionate culture within their organizations (e.g. by leading by example and compassionate to their staff).

Summary This study aims to review articles reporting the perspectives and experiences of pandemic-related discrimination among racially minoritized peoples in high-income contexts. We searched online databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and ProQuest) for peer-reviewed articles published between January 2002 and October 2020. Eligible studies reported either quantitative or qualitative accounts of pandemic-related discrimination from the perspectives of racially minoritized peoples in high-income contexts. Two authors screened 30% of titles/abstracts, and all full-text articles. Each article included for extraction underwent a quality assessment by two reviewers. Data were extracted and categorized thematically using NVivo 12, followed by a secondary analysis informed by critical race theory. Of the 1289 articles screened, 16 articles from five countries met the inclusion criteria. Racial discrimination is heightened during pandemic periods, due to the social association of specific racial groups with pandemic diseases including COVID-19, SARS (Asian), H1N1 (Hispanic) and Ebola (African). Fear based responses to racially minoritized peoples during pandemic periods included verbal/physical abuse, hypersurveillance, and avoidance, often occurring in public spaces. Pandemic-related racism had subsequent impacts on mental health and health care accessibility. Various coping strategies, including community support, avoidance, and problem solving, were documented in response to racial discrimination. Racialized discrimination and violence is a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of racially minoritized peoples, particularly due to its increase during pandemic periods. Racism must be recognized as a public health issue, and efforts to address its increased impact in pandemic contexts should be made, including ensuring that adequate representation of racially minoritized groups is present in policy, planning, and implementation.

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Nurses in the United States value their role in providing compassionate care to their patients, the family and community. This article discusses an international survey that explored key issues of compassion in nursing, specifically qualitative findings from a sample of nurses from the United States of America. Fifteen countries participated in this survey, with a total of 1,323 completed questionnaires. The article presents the background; study methods and analysis; and results and discussion. Qualitative data from the United States nurses revealed the following findings: compassion was defined caring with listening, developing a relationship, alleviating suffering, touch, and going beyond the normal role of the nurse.Findings of this study provide some understanding of the ways in which nurses in the United States provide compassionate care.