Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) emerge as one of the areas where palliative care is most needed. This study was conducted to examine the attitudes and compassion fatigue levels of NICUs nurses working in Şanlıurfa, where the fertility rate and infant mortality are highest in Turkey, toward palliative care.

This study was conducted in descriptive type.

The research was carried out with 204 (85%) nurses who agreed to participate in the research between October 2022 and February 2023, out of 240 neonatal intensive care nurses working in the NICU of 2 training and research hospitals and a university hospital in Şanlıurfa. The data of the study were collected using an Introductory Information Form, the Neonatal Palliative Care Attitude Scale, and the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale.

Nurses; compassion fatigue scale mean score was 61.46 ± 26.64, palliative care scale mean score was 3.13 ± 0.74 for organization subdimension, 2.85 ± 0.73 for resources subdimension, and 3.08 ± 0.89 for clinician subdimension. In the results of the study, 8 barriers (parents do not participate in decisions, there is not enough staff, lack of time to spend with the family, lack of policies/rules in institutions for palliative care, lack of education and communication, society’s beliefs, nurses’ personal attitudes toward death, and lack of appreciation of past experiences with palliative care) and 6 facilitators (Nurses’ ability to express their perceptions, views and beliefs about palliative care, to participate and support palliative care, to inform parents, to provide counseling, adequate physical conditions) for palliative care were determined.

While it was determined that nurses had a slightly below moderate level of compassion fatigue and a close attitude toward organization and resources toward palliative care, it was determined that ethical conflict toward palliative care was high in clinical subdimension scores.

It is recommended that all nurses working in the NICU obtain certificates, improvements in resources such as personnel and equipment, improvements in the shift work system and development of policies/rules in institutions for palliative care.

Nursing students often encounter real-life trauma situations during their clinical experience and similar workplace environment and climate as professional nurses. This research was carried out to determine the reflections of the compassion fatigue levels of nursing final year students on their psychological resilience levels.

This research was conducted as descriptive and cross-sectional. The sample of the study consists of 250 final year nursing students. Data were collected using Personal Information Form, Compassion Fatigue Scale, and Resilience Scale. It was determined that the compassion fatigue and psychological resilience levels of nursing final year students were moderate.

It was determined that as the levels of compassion fatigue increased, psychological resilience decreased. A highly negative and significant correlation was found between the total and sub-dimension mean scores of compassion fatigue and psychological resilience (p = 0.001).

It was found that there was a negative and high level relationship between nursing students’ compassion fatigue levels and all its sub-dimensions and psychological resilience. Resilience can improve psychosocial functioning and professional performance, including for nursing students facing stressful clinical experiences. It is important to determine the compassion fatigue and psychological resilience levels of nursing students, to determine the existing problems, and to take initiatives for this.

Compassion fatigue (CF), which includes burnout and secondary traumatic stress, is highly prevalent among healthcare providers (HCPs). Ultimately, if left untreated, CF is often associated with absenteeism, decreased work performance, poor job satisfaction, and providers leaving their positions. To identify risk factors for developing CF and interventions to combat it in pediatric hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplant (PHOB) HCPs.

An integrative review was conducted. Controlled vocabulary relevant to neoplasms, CF, pediatrics, and HCPs was used to search PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, and Web of Science MEDLINE. Inclusion criteria were the following: English language and PHOB population. Exclusion criteria were the following: did not address question, wrong study population, mixed study population where PHOB HCPs were only part of the population, articles about moral distress as this is a similar but not the same topic as CF, conference abstracts, and book chapters.

A total of 16 articles were reviewed: 3 qualitative, 6 quantitative, 3 mixed methods, and 4 non research. Three themes were explored: (1) high-risk populations for developing CF, (2) sources of stress in PHOB HCPs, and (3) workplace interventions to decrease CF.

PHOB HCPs are at high risk of developing CF due to high morbidity and mortality in their patient population. Various interventions, including the use of a clinical support nurse, debriefing, support groups, respite rooms, and retreats, have varying degrees of efficacy to decrease CF in this population.

Few studies have examined burnout in psychosocial oncology clinicians. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize what is known about the prevalence and severity of burnout in psychosocial clinicians who work in oncology settings and the factors that are believed to contribute or protect against it.

Articles on burnout (including compassion fatigue and secondary trauma) in psychosocial oncology clinicians were identified by searching PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Web of Science Core Collection.

Thirty-eight articles were reviewed at the full-text level, and of those, nine met study inclusion criteria. All were published between 2004 and 2018 and included data from 678 psychosocial clinicians. Quality assessment revealed relatively low risk of bias and high methodological quality. Study composition and sample size varied greatly, and the majority of clinicians were aged between 40 and 59 years. Across studies, 10 different measures were used to assess burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue, in addition to factors that might impact burnout, including work engagement, meaning, and moral distress. When compared with other medical professionals, psychosocial oncology clinicians endorsed lower levels of burnout.

This systematic review suggests that psychosocial clinicians are not at increased risk of burnout compared with other health care professionals working in oncology or in mental health. Although the data are quite limited, several factors appear to be associated with less burnout in psychosocial clinicians, including exposure to patient recovery, discussing traumas, less moral distress, and finding meaning in their work. More research using standardized measures of burnout with larger samples of clinicians is needed to examine both prevalence rates and how the experience of burnout changes over time. By virtue of their training, psychosocial clinicians are well placed to support each other and their nursing and medical colleagues.

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.

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.

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.

Compassion fatigue (CF) is secondary traumatic distress experienced by providers from contact with patients' suffering. Burnout (BO) is job-related distress resulting from uncontrollable workplace factors that manifest in career dissatisfaction. Compassion satisfaction (CS) is emotional fulfillment derived from caring for others. The literature on BO in healthcare providers is extensive, whereas CF and CS have not been comprehensively studied. Because of ongoing exposure to patient and family distress, pediatric palliative care (PPC) providers may be at particular risk for CF. We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study of CF, BO, and CS among PPC providers across the United States.

The Compassion Fatigue and Satisfaction Self-Test for Helpers and a questionnaire of professional and personal characteristics were distributed electronically and anonymously to PPC physicians and nurses. Logistic and linear regression models for CF, BO, and CS as a function of potential risk factors were constructed.

The survey response rate was 39%, primarily consisting of female, Caucasian providers. The prevalence of CF, BO, and CS was 18%, 12%, and 25%, respectively. Distress about a “clinical situation,” physical exhaustion, and personal loss were identified as significant determinants of CF. Distress about “coworkers,” emotional depletion, social isolation, and “recent involvement in a clinical situation in which life-prolonging activities were not introduced” were significant determinants of BO. Physical exhaustion, personal history of trauma, “recent involvement in a clinical situation in which life-prolonging activities were not introduced,” and not discussing distressing issues were significant predictors of lower CS scores.

CF and BO directly influence the well-being and professional performance of PPC providers. To provide effective compassionate care to patients, PPC providers must be attentive to predictors of these phenomena. Further work is needed to explore additional causes of CF, BO, and CS in PPC providers as well as potential interventions.

Compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious traumatization are prominent topics in the current literature on the impact of the rewarding but challenging work of healthcare professionals who care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. The positive effects of caregiving constitute a newly emerging outcome that has been relatively unexplored in the pediatric literature, and yet they may play an important role in contributing to the satisfaction and well-being of the healthcare professionals who care for children who have a life-limiting illness.

This paper reports the results of a secondary analysis of qualitative interview transcripts that explored the experiences of hospital-based pediatric healthcare providers caring for children with varied life-limiting illnesses. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 healthcare professionals (9 social workers, 8 nurses, and 8 physicians). The majority of participants were women (80%), with an age range between 20 and 60 years, and most (84%) had the experience of caring for more than 15 dying children. Thematic analysis was conducted using interpretive description and constant comparison.

Every healthcare professional interviewed experienced personal growth as a result of their providing care for dying children. Three dimensions of personal growth were most consistently reported: (1) new or altered life perspectives, (2) enhanced personal resources, and (3) benevolence.

A deeper understanding of the phenomenon of personal growth could help healthcare organizations to implement innovative approaches that would counterbalance compassion fatigue, and thereby enhance both healthcare provider well-being and child and family outcomes.

Caring is a fundamental tenet of healthcare. Caring ‘too much’ can result in compassion fatigue syndrome and is often linked to burnout and low morale. The objective of this study was to examine compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress (STS) and burnout by investigating the relationship between levels of compassion (compassion satisfaction) and STS and burnout. The study also aimed to identify radiation therapist (RTTs) groups who may be at risk for developing (STS) and burnout. Finally, we investigated the level of social support that RTTs receive.

RTTs practicing across Canada were invited to participate in an electronic questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of: demographic information including health-related issues and occupational variables; the Professional Quality of Life Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Questionnaire (ProQOL-V) to assess the potential for compassion satisfaction and vulnerability for STS and burnout; and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to examine the level and sources of social support. A two-way ANOVA was performed to test the statistical significance between varying groups within the study population. A linear regression analysis using potential co-factors was used to test correlations between compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout and variables in age, education, years of experience and levels of caring to patients.

A total of 477 survey responses were received representing a 36% response rate. Results of the regression analyses generally indicate inverse correlations between the risks associated with compassion satisfaction, burnout and STS compared with the independent study variables of age, education, years of experience and levels of caring to patients. It was observed that responses were not linear within subgroups (age groups, education classifications, years of study).

RTTs practicing in Canada have a substantial social support network and demonstrate high levels of compassion satisfaction in their daily practice. The results of the study indicate that compassion levels are inversely correlated with burnout and compassion fatigue, although some groups may be at higher risk than others. A possible risk catalyst for compassion fatigue and burnout is associated with underdeveloped managerial workplace support programmes.

The emotional aspects of traumatic events often are ignored for professionals involved in disaster interventions immediately with victims of emotional trauma. There is a growing body of theoretical and empirical literature that recognizes that engaging in therapeutic work with trauma survivors can and does impact the professionals involved. Compassion fatigue is the latest in an evolving concept that is known in the field of traumatology as secondary traumatic stress. Most often, this phenomenon is associated with caring for others in emotional or physical pain.

In a literature review, Beaton and Murphy (1995) assert that emergency/first responders and crisis workers absorb the traumatic stress of those they help. By doing so, they are at-risk for compassion fatigue. Among the negative consequences that often are not linked to their work, include substance abuse and relationship conflicts. Although the body of literature exploring the prevalence of compassion fatigue continues to grow, the lack of research to support the underlying theory of the concept in relation to measurement is cause for alarm.

This presentation will explore a theoretical model that accounts for and predicts the emergence of compassion stress and compassion fatigue among professionals working with traumatized people as well as explicate the principals associated with accurate diagnosis,assessment, research, treatment, and prevention of compassion fatigue.