BackgroundPresenteeism is prevalent in healthcare settings and is significantly associated with impaired physical and psychological wellbeing among healthcare professionals, as well as reduced quality of care. While workload is a known trigger, the psychological mechanisms linking it to presenteeism remain underexplored. Compassion fatigue may serve as a mediator, and self-compassion as a potential moderator, yet empirical evidence in maternal and newborn health settings is limited. Therefore, w