Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T19:02:05.920Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Compassion satisfaction and fatigue: an investigation into levels being reported by radiotherapy students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2018

David Flinton ,
Pam Cherry ,
Richard Thorne ,
Liam Mannion ,
Chris O’Sullivan  and
Ricardo Khine
David Flinton*
Affiliation:
Division of Radiography, City, University of London, London, UK
Pam Cherry
Affiliation:
Division of Radiography, City, University of London, London, UK
Richard Thorne
Affiliation:
Division of Radiography, City, University of London, London, UK
Liam Mannion
Affiliation:
Division of Radiography, City, University of London, London, UK
Chris O’Sullivan
Affiliation:
Division of Radiography, City, University of London, London, UK
Ricardo Khine
Affiliation:
Division of Radiography, City, University of London, London, UK
*
Author for correspondence: David Flinton, Division of Radiography, City, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UK. Tel: 020 7040 5688. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction

Studies have investigated the prevalence of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in various healthcare professions. However, the majority of evidence is linked to the nursing profession and little is known about paramedical professions such as radiography and even less is known about its prevalence in students. The purpose of this study was to describe the levels of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in the student population and how they varied in time.

Methods

Students undertaking radiotherapy training at the researcher’s host sites were surveyed using the Professional Quality of Life questionnaire at the end of each final clinical block in each year of their training.

Results and conclusion

During the 3 years of training compassion satisfaction falls and burnout increases in the student population, although the change is not significant. Secondary traumatic stress increases significantly during the 3 years of training, F=5·725, p=0·005. Considerable variation also exists in the three scores dependent on the student’s clinical training site. Relationships are also observed between some personality traits, particularly conscientiousness and neuroticism and compassion scores.

Keywords

burnoutcompassion fatigueProfessional Quality of Lifetherapeutic radiography
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , December 2018 , pp. 364 - 367
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Society of Radiographers. Radiography careers. The Society and College of Radiographers, 2018. https://radiographycareers.co.uk/explore-who-i-am/15-19-year-old. Accessed on 8th May 2018.Google Scholar
2. Coombs, C R, Park, J R, Loan-Clarke, J, Arnold, J, Preston, D, Wilkinson, A J. Perceptions of radiography and the National Health Service: a qualitative study. Radiography 2003; 9: 109–122.Google Scholar
3. Palumbo, M V, Rambur, B, Mcintosh, B, Naud, S. Perceptions of an ideal career versus perceptions of six health careers. J Allied Health 2008; 37 (1): 8–16.Google Scholar
4. Harr, C R, Kelly, T S, Riley, K, Moore, B. The impact of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction on social work students. J Soc Soc Work Res 2014; 5 (2): 233–251.Google Scholar
5. Stamm, B H. The Concise ProQOL Manual, 2nd edition, 2010. http://www.proqol.org/uploads/ProQOL_Concise_2ndEd_12-2010.pdf. Accessed on 29th March 2018.Google Scholar
6. Bao, S, Taliaferro, D. Compassion fatigue and psychological capital in nurses working in acute care settings. Int J Hum Caring 2015; 19 (2): 35–40.Google Scholar
7. Sinclair, S, Raffin-Bouchal, S, Venturato, L, Mijovic-Kondejewski, J, Smith-MacDonald, L. Compassion fatigue: a meta-narrative review of the healthcare literature. Int J Nurs Stud 2017; 69: 9–24.Google Scholar
8. Slocum-Gori, S, Hemsworth, D, Chan, W W Y, Kazanjian, A. Understanding compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue and burnout: a survey of the hospice palliative care workforce. Palliat Med 2011; 27 (2): 172–178.Google Scholar
9. McHolm, F. Rx for compassion fatigue. J Christ Nurs 2006; 23 (4): 12–19.Google Scholar
10. Janssen, P P M, Schaufelioe, W B, Houkes, I. Work-related and individual determinants of the three burnout dimensions. Work Stress 1999; 13 (1): 74–86.Google Scholar
11. Yoder, E A. Compassion fatigue in nurses. Appl Nurs Res 2010; 23 (4): 191–197.Google Scholar
12. Medical News Today. Nurses bear cost of caring most heavily “compassion fatigue” fast becoming healthcare provider’s worst nightmare, 2010. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/42966.php. Accessed on 29th March 2018.Google Scholar
13. Sung, K, Seo, Y, Kim, J H. Relationships between compassion fatigue, burnout, and turnover intention in Korean hospital nurses. J Korean Acad Nurs 2012; 42 (7): 1087–1094.Google Scholar
14. Sorenson, C, Bolick, B, Wright, K, Hamilton, R. Understanding compassion fatigue in healthcare providers: a review of current literature. J Nurs Scholarship 2016; 48 (5): 456–465.Google Scholar
15. Hunsaker, S, Chen, H-C, Maughan, D, Heaston, S. Factors that influence the development of compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction in emergency department nurse. J Nurs Scholarship 2015; 47 (2): 186–194.Google Scholar
16. Lombardo, B, Eyre, C. Compassion fatigue: a nurse’s primer. Online J Issues Nurs 2011; 16 (1): 1–8.Google Scholar
17. Duarte, J, Pinto-Gouveia, J, Cruz, B. Relationships between nurses’ empathy, self-compassion and dimensions of professional quality of life: a cross-sectional study. Int J Nurs Stud 2016; 60: 1–11.Google Scholar
18. Bhaskaran, K, Smeeth, L. What is the difference between missing completely at random and missing at random? Int J Epidemiol 2014; 43 (4): 1336–1339.Google Scholar
19. Rammstedt, B, John, O P. Measuring personality in one minute or less: a 10 item short version of the Big Five Inventory in English and German. J Res Personality 2007; 41: 203–212.Google Scholar
20. Kolthoff, K L, Hickman, S E. Compassion fatigue among nurses working with older adults. Geriatric Nurs 2017; 38: 106–109.Google Scholar
21. Yu, H, Jiang, A, Shen, J. Prevalence and predictors of compassion fatigue, burnout and compassions satisfaction among oncology nurses: a cross-sectional survey. Int J Nurs Stud 2016; 57: 28–38.Google Scholar
22. Probst, H. Burnout in therapy radiographers in the UK. Br J Radiol 2012; 85 (1017): e760–e765.Google Scholar
23. The Society and College of Radiographers. Analysis of students and recent graduates’ survey 2011. London: The Society and College of Radiographers, 2011. http://doc-lib.sor.org/analysis-students-and-recent-graduates-survey-2011. Accessed on 8th May 2018.Google Scholar