The extent to which intern students majoring in traditional Chinese medicine, potential future primary care physicians, experience compassion fatigue remains unclear. The study aimed to investigate the incidence, severity, and related factors of compassion fatigue among intern students majoring in traditional Chinese medicine. An cross-sectional survey study was performed between December 2021 and January 2022. We recruited 784 intern students majoring in traditional Chinese medicine from two junior traditional Chinese medicine colleges in Hunan province, China, using the convenience sampling method. Participants completed a self-designed questionnaire on participant demographic characteristics and the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The results showed that among the 695 valid responses (88.6% response rate), the average score of the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale was 55.81, with a prevalence of high-risk overall compassion fatigue at 38.8%. Factors contributing to compassion fatigue included male gender, monthly expenses under 1,000 CNY (157.5 USD), over four night shifts monthly, and weak medical career intentions post-graduation. In conclusion, intern students majoring in traditional Chinese medicine suffered moderate levels of compassion fatigue. Emphasis should be placed on male medical intern students, those with limited monthly expenses, and individuals with weak intentions toward a medical career. Furthermore, proper scheduling and night shift management are crucial in clinical teaching to mitigate compassion fatigue among intern students. Future research is necessary to explore other factors associated with compassion fatigue among intern students, such as psychological factors. © The Author(s) 2025.
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