Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify influential factors on compassion fatigue in hospital nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was conducted with a survey of 358 general hospital nurses in Busan ? Gyeongnam area. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression were performed using SPSS/WIN 18.0 for Windows. Results: The mean score was 28.53 in compassion fatigue. As a result of multiple regression analysis, empathic ability, stress coping strategy, current workplace, and academic background were statistically significant predictors explained 26.0% of the variance of compassion fatigue. Conclusion: It was suggested to consider emphatic ability, stress coping strategy, workplace, and academic background when developing a program available for preventing and easing nurses" compassion fatigue.