Compassion fatigue in healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the psychological health and well-being of healthcare providers. An amplification in chronic stressors, workload and fatalities may have increased the risk of compassion fatigue and disrupted the quality of patient care. Although current studies have explored the general psychological status of healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, few have focused on compassion fatigue. The purpose of this review is to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on compassion fatigue in healthcare providers and the repercussions of compassion fatigue on patient care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review will follow Joanna Briggs Institute and Arksey and O'Malley scoping review methodology. Comprehensive searches will be conducted in the following relevant databases: MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science. To expand the search, reference lists of included studies will be handsearched for additional relevant studies. Included studies must report on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on compassion fatigue in healthcare providers and have been published in English since January 2020. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review does not require research ethics board approval. By examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on compassion fatigue in healthcare providers, this scoping review can offer important insight into the possible risks, protective factors and strategies to support healthcare providers' psychological health and patient care amidst persisting stressful conditions.

Compassion fatigue and COVID-19: A global view from nurses.

BACKGROUND: Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 variants, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 may create psychological burdens on nurses. Nurses with high levels of compassion fatigue (CF) are more likely to make work errors, deliver poor-quality care, and have greater intent to leave their position. OBJECTIVES: This study utilized the social-ecological model to examine factors associated with nurses' CF and compassion satisfaction (CS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Data were collected from the United States, Japan, and South Korea from July to December 2020. The Professional Quality of Life Scale was used to measure burnout (BO), secondary traumatic stress (STS), and CS. RESULTS: Data from 662 responses were used in the analysis. Mean scores were 25.04 (±6.44) for BO, 24.81 (±6.43) for STS, and 37.85 (±7.67) for CS. Multiple regression analyses indicated that resilience and intention to leave nursing were related to each study outcome (i.e., BO, STS, and CS). Greater resilience predicted lower BO and STS but greater CS, whereas intention to leave nursing indicated greater BO and STS, but lower CS. Furthermore, intrapersonal factors and organizational factors (i.e., nurses involved in developing policies to prepare for COVID-19 patients, organizational support, and personal protective equipment [PPE] provisions) were related to BO, STS, and CS. LINKING EVIDENCE TO PRACTICE: To promote nurses' psychological well-being, improvement of organizational factors such as support, PPE, and programs to enhance resilience is recommended to prepare for future emerging infectious disease crises.

Compassion and decision fatigue among healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic in a Colombian sample.

Being compassionate and empathic while making rational decisions is expected from healthcare workers across different contexts. But the daily challenges that these workers face, aggravated by the recent COVID-19 crisis, can give rise to compassion and decision fatigue, which affects not only their ability to meet these expectations but has a significant negative impact on their wellbeing. Hence, it is vital to identify factors associated to their exhaustion. Here, we sought to describe levels of compassion and decision fatigue during the pandemic, and to identify factors related to these forms of exhaustion. We collected data using self-reported questionnaires to measure compassion fatigue, decision fatigue, and grit in five intervals from April to November, 2020 (N = 856). Our results showed a negative correlation between grit and compassion and decision fatigue. We also found that under the circumstances studied grit tends to be higher in technicians, nurses, other professionals (psychologists, social workers), and workers at the Emergency Room (ER), and lower in general practitioners. Compassion fatigue tend to be higher for technicians, whereas decision fatigue was lower for specialists, general practitioners, and technicians, and higher for those working at private hospitals.

Assessment of Compassion Fatigue and Empathy Levels in Nurses During the COVID-19 Outbreak: Turkey's Case.

This study was conducted to determine the compassion fatigue level of nurses and to review several variables believed to be associated with it; in addition, an assessment is made of empathy levels in the same group. This is a cross-sectional study conducted from December 2021 to May 2022 on nurses working at a city hospital linked to the Turkish Ministry of Health. The study group consisted of 616 nurses. A Personal Information Form, the Compassion Fatigue-Short Scale (CF-SS), and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy were used to collect data. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Student's t-test, One-Way Analysis of Variance, and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were used for data analysis. The statistical significance value was accepted as p < 0.05. The study group consisted of 499 (81.0%) females and 117 (19.0%) males, and their ages ranged from 20 to 51, with a mean age of 29.2 ± 6.9 years. The scores obtained from the CF-SS ranged from 16 to 130, with a mean score of 70.96 ± 25.04. The level of compassion fatigue was found to be higher in participants with a low family income, those who work more than 40 h a week, those who chose their profession unwillingly, those who are not satisfied with their profession, and those with a history of contact with a COVID-19 patient (p < 0.05 for each group). There was a significant association between levels of compassion fatigue and empathy (r = 0.92; p = 0.220). The level of compassion fatigue was found to be moderate in the nurses observed. The factors affecting the level of compassion fatigue included gender, family income, reasons for choosing nursing as a profession, the number of patients given daily care by the nurses, satisfaction with their profession, and history of contact with a COVID-19 patient. More extensive studies focusing on the association between compassion fatigue and empathy in nurses are needed.

Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue and Its Association with Professional Identity in Junior College Nursing Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The issue of compassion fatigue among clinical nurses has received considerable attention, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, the current status of compassion fatigue among junior college nursing interns remains unclear. Additionally, professional identity can modulate the impact of compassion fatigue or burnout on psychological well-being; however, whether professional identity still works in this group is also unclear. This study aimed to reveal the current status of compassion fatigue among nursing interns in junior colleges and also investigate the association between compassion fatigue and professional identity. Methods: This cross-sectional survey evaluated the levels of participants' compassion fatigue (The Compassion Fatigue Short Scale) and professional identity (Professional Identity Scale) in 2256 nursing interns. Results: The mean score of compassion fatigue was 44.99, and 19.5% of the participants scored above The Compassion Fatigue Short Scale median scores for compassion fatigue. A moderate negative correlation was detected between compassion fatigue and professional identity. Conclusions: The level of compassion fatigue among nursing interns is low but nearly one in five nursing students is at risk of compassion fatigue. More attention should be paid to nursing interns with a high risk of compassion fatigue. Future studies are warranted to explore which pathways could mediate the relationship between professional identify and comparison fatigue.

Compassion fatigue among frontline healthcare workers during the covid-19 pandemic in Tunisia.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are highly vulnerable to compassion fatigue (CF), which not only leads to decreased mental and physical health, but also to deterioration in the safety of care delivered. Our study aims to measure compassion satisfaction (CS), CF levels and their predictors among Tunisian HCWs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among HCWs caring for confirmed and suspected Covid-19 patients, staff at two university hospitals in Sousse, Tunisia during the 4thwave of coronavirus through a self-administrated Questionnaire, using the French version of the Professional Quality of Life scale ProQol, version 5. RESULTS: A total of 274 professionals were recruited with a mean age of 32.87±8.35 years. HCWs tend to have an overall moderate levels of compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress and burnout with mean scores 35.09±7.08, 29.72±7.62, 28.54±5.44 respectively. Self-reported resilience (ß = 0.14, p = 10-3), work engagement (ß = 0.39, p = 10-3) and burnout (ß = -0.32, p = 10-3) were the predictors of compassion satisfaction in the linear regression analysis (adjusted r2 = 0.45). Similarly, limited work experience, compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic sub-scores were the determinants of burnout (ß = -0.1, p = 0.04; ß = -0.54, p = 10-3; ß = 0.35, p = 10-3 respectively); (adjusted r2 = 0.48). Regarding STS, female professionals (ß = 0.20, p = 10-3), being married (ß = 0.19, p = 10-3), the fear of transmitting the infection (ß = 0.11, p = 0.03) and burnout (ß = 0.39, p = 10-3) were the predictors for the occurrence of secondary traumatic stress (adjusted r2 = 0.48). CONCLUSION: More resilience promoting interventions and more coping skills programs must be implemented to fulfill HCWs' psychological well-being needs.

Secondary traumatic stress and dissociative coping strategies in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: The protective role of resilience.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are repeatedly exposed to acute stress at their workplace, and therefore, they are at high risk for developing mental health symptoms. The prolonged exposure of healthcare professionals may lead to Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). STS is an aspect of "cost of care", the natural consequence of providing care to people who suffer physically or psychologically. The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of STS in nurses during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece and to detect aggravating and protective factors. Participants were 222 nurses (87.4 % women; mean age 42.3 years) who completed an online survey. The questionnaire comprised of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, the Brief Resilience Scale, and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory. Nurses had high levels of STS. The hierarchical regression analyses showed that STS and its dimensions Avoidance and Arousal were positively predicted mainly by denial and self-distraction coping strategies and inversely by resilience. Resilience exhibited a protective (partial mediation) effect on the strong relationship between the dissociative coping strategies (denial, self-distraction, venting and behavioral disengagement) and STS. Trauma-informed care psychosocial interventions are needed to support the already overburdened nursing staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fear of COVID-19 Impact on Professional Quality of Life among Mental Health Workers.

Several studies have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers' mental health, but only a few have investigated its detrimental effect on the mental well-being of mental health workers (MHWs). BACKGROUND: The current study aimed to explore the effect of the fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19) on professional quality of life dimensions, namely compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in MHWs above and beyond sociodemographic and professional factors. METHODS: Hierarchical linear regression models were employed to examine the relationship of extreme FCV-19 with CS, BO, and STS in MHWs (n = 224), after considering sociodemographic variables as potential confounding factors. Extreme FCV-19 was operationalized as a binary variable with a cut-off score of ≥16.5 considered as extreme fear. RESULTS: We found that extreme FCV-19 in MHWs is linked with increased compassion fatigue (BO and STS), and this relationship is exacerbated by younger age in regard to BO and by female gender concerning STS. CS remains unaffected by severe FCV-19, and it is higher in older participants. CONCLUSION: Organizational support is required to protect MHWs' mental well-being and ensure the quality of care they provide during prolonged crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures that intensify a sense of safety, protection, and control against COVID-19 infections in mental health services should be included in the recommendations that may reduce BO and STS among MHWs.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Compassion Satisfaction Among Emergency Nurses in Southern California Working Through the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction scores in emergency nurses after working through the COVID-19 pandemic using the Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 and compare those scores with similar studies conducted before the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of a descriptive survey including the Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 questionnaire was sent to nurses working in the emergency department before 2021 from urban, adult, and pediatric receiving hospitals in Southern California. Results were analyzed to provide insight into the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the levels of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction compared with prepandemic studies found in the literature using the same Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 instrument. RESULTS: Mean subcategory scores were in the moderate range for burnout (25.6), secondary traumatic stress (24.5), and compassion satisfaction (38.7). Burnout scores for midshift nurses were found to be significantly higher than day shift nurses (mean difference 5, P = .02) as were secondary traumatic stress scores (mean difference 4.6, P = .007). In addition, compassion satisfaction subcategory scores in nurses with 1 child living at home were significantly higher than those with 2 (mean difference 6.7, P = .02). DISCUSSION: The unnormalized mean findings were similar to prepandemic studies conducted using the same Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 instrument indicating nurses are at risk of compassion fatigue. In addition, the scores from midshift nurses reflect increased burnout and secondary traumatic stress whereas nurses with 2 children had lower compassion satisfaction. This implies the need for leadership to proactively seek interventions to support nurses on each shift.

Benefits of practice ownership among US private practice veterinarians extend to professional quality of life.

Objective: To estimate the effects of practice ownership on wellbeing of US private practice veterinarians. Sample: 1,217 practice owners and 1,414 associate veterinarians (ie, nonowners) who participated in the 2021 AVMA Census of Veterinarians and Practice Owners Survey. Procedures: A professional quality of life instrument was used to measure compassion satisfaction (CS; a positive attribute), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in practice owners and nonowners both as scores and as score categories (low, moderate, and high CS, BO, and STS). For hypothesis tests, propensity score matching was used, with owners (n = 595) matched to nonowners (595) on several demographic and employment factors. Results: Owners had significantly (P < .001) higher CS scores (mean ± SE, 34.1 ± 0.3) and lower BO scores (26.1 ± 0.3) than nonowners (32.8 ± 0.3 and 26.9 ± 0.3, respectively), but STS scores were comparable between groups (27.4 ± 0.3 and 27.5 ± 0.3; P = .55). The prevalence of low CS scores and high BO scores was significantly (P < .001) higher for nonowners versus owners (53.8% vs 42.7% and 51.6% vs 46.4%, respectively). Both owners and nonowners had a high prevalence of high STS scores (81.8% and 83.2%, respectively; P = .53). Clinical Relevance: Results suggested that practice ownership confers a benefit to private practice veterinarians in terms of CS and BO, but not STS. The prevalence of poor CS, BO, and STS scores was higher than reported previously for 2016 to 2018, suggesting an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The high prevalence of high STS scores in both groups warrants attention and action to protect the welfare of the veterinary workforce and support optimal patient care.

COVID 19 pandemic: Impact of changes experienced on social workers' professional quality of life in Singapore.

COVID-19 has impacted all spheres of life massively. Among the emerging studies on the psychosocial impact of the pandemic, few studies look specifically at how social workers are impacted. To understand this gap, this study surveyed 337 social workers. The findings showed that changes experienced in the workplace were enormous and caused secondary traumatic stress while engendering compassion satisfaction among social workers, but the presence of social support moderated to keep the secondary traumatic stress at bay. Resilience mediated association between social and workplace support and compassion fatigue. Social support seemed to have the largest effect on reducing stress through resilience. Workplace support also helped mitigate burnout. In conclusion, continued social and workplace support will be key to supporting social workers during a pandemic.

The Effects of Motivational Messages Sent to Emergency Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Job Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue, and Communication Skills: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency nurses have been adversely affected physically, socially, and psychologically by factors such as increased workload, longer working hours, isolation from family, and limited resources. This study aimed to investigate the effect of motivational messages sent to emergency nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic on their job satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and communication skills. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled experimental study. The study was conducted with 60 emergency nurses in 2 training and research hospitals in Istanbul between July 31 and August 31, 2021. The participants were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. Participants in the intervention group (n = 30) received daily motivational messages to their mobile phones by short message service for 21 days; those in the control group (n = 30) received no motivational messages. The Job Satisfaction Scale, Compassion Fatigue Scale, and Communication Skills Scale were administered before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The mean age was 29.8 (SD = 7.5) and 28.7 years (SD = 6.9) in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Before the intervention, there were no significant differences in the groups' scores for job satisfaction (P = .561), compassion fatigue (P = .687), or communication skills (P = .355). After the intervention, the intervention group had significantly higher scores for job satisfaction (P < .001) and communication skills (P < .001) and significantly lower compassion fatigue scores than the control group (P < .001). DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that motivational messages sent to emergency nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic increase job satisfaction and improve communication skills while reducing compassion fatigue.

Healthcare worker trauma and related mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) faced a range of stressors during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, contributing to psychological stress. We use a psychological trauma framework to characterize the mental health burden for clinical and non-clinical healthcare worker occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective was to measure and characterize risk factors for trauma and anxiety-related mental health problems among HCWs at a public hospital in the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City (NYC). This study reports findings from a cross-sectional survey of NYC HCWs shortly after the initial 2020 infection surge. Over 800 hospital employees completed the survey that assessed professional quality of life indicators (compassion satisfaction [CS], burnout [BO], secondary traumatic stress [STS]), Coronavirus Anxiety (CS), Obsession with Coronavirus (OC), and PTSD symptoms. The survey also assessed pandemic-related work and life circumstances such as "do you have a family member or friend who tested positive for COVID". Relatively small percentages of HCWs endorsed probable Coronavirus Anxiety (6%), PTSD (13%), and Coronavirus Obsession (21%). We observed higher proportions of Burnout (29%), Moderate or High Secondary Traumatic Stress (45%), and High Compassion Satisfaction (52%). Adjusted regression models showed important implications for prior behavioral/emotional health concerns among HCWs, providing care for a patient that died from COVID-19, and other characteristics. This study supports prior studies documenting the mental health consequences for the healthcare workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study builds on that base by including non-clinical staff in the sample and assessing pandemic life-stressors such as caring for sick family members.

Frontline nurses' compassion fatigue and associated predictive factors during the second wave of COVID-19 in Kampala, Uganda.

AIM: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated contextual factors of compassion fatigue in nurses in Kampala. DESIGN: This study employed a cross-sectional study design. METHODS: Participants included 395 nurses. They provided details about their demographic information. Stamm's Professional Quality of Life V-5 was used to assess the levels of compassion fatigue. Statistical analysis included Pearson's chi-square and Fischer's exact test, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. A p-value of <.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the total 395 participants, 58.23% (N = 230) were female, 39.76% had a diploma, 47.09% were single, 43.54% had worked for 11-15 years, 54.94% had an exposure to COVID-19 cases and 43.54% worked for more than 10 hr a day. 49.11% had high levels of compassion fatigue. The predictors of compassion fatigue were working experience (p-value = <.001), exposure to COVID-19 (p-value = <.019), long working hours (p-value = .003) and remuneration (p-value = <.001).

Resilience at Work, Burnout, Secondary Trauma, and Compassion Satisfaction of Social Workers Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are at risk due to exposure to varied populations in need, which may impact their resilience, burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction. The study assessed resilience at work, burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction among social workers in Israel during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (May to June 2020). A convenience sample of 332 social workers (291 women (87.6%)) filled out an online, structured questionnaire that included demographics, a professional quality of life scale (ProQOL) (including three subscales), and resilience at work (RAW) (including seven subscales). The overall mean of the RAW was medium (M = 71, SD ± 8.9) compared to standardized scores. The mean scores of two of the subscales of the RAW, maintaining perspective and staying healthy, were low. The mean scores of the sub-scales of ProQOL were: compassion satisfaction was close to the 50th percentile (M = 48.25); burnout (M = 30.18) and secondary trauma (M = 26.27) were below the 25th percentile. Significant low to medium positive associations were found between all the dependent variables, except for staying healthy. A negative association was identified between compassion satisfaction and burnout, as well as between compassion satisfaction and secondary trauma. High levels of compassion satisfaction and contentment, low levels of secondary trauma, and having a managerial position were predicted to be 40% of the RAW. Lower levels of maintaining perspective, secondary trauma, and being younger predicted 27% of burnout. Higher levels of finding your calling, living authentically, maintaining perspective, interacting cooperatively, being older, and not being a manager predicted 58% of compassion satisfaction. Lower levels of burnout, maintaining perspective, and being younger predicted 36% of secondary trauma. As the COVID-19 pandemic still challenges most societies, policymakers should consider ways to integrate mechanisms that will enhance social workers' resilience at work.

The prevalence and influencing factors for compassion fatigue among nurses in Fangcang shelter hospitals: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: We aim to investigate the prevalence and associated factors for compassion fatigue among nurses in Fangcang Shelter Hospitals in Wuhan. Studies have shown that compassion fatigue was more common among nurses than other health-care providers, and its predictors were also different. In recent years, most studies have investigated compassion fatigue in emergency and oncology nurses, whereas there is little information on compassion fatigue among nurses from the frontline of Fangcang Shelter Hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used in this study. An online survey was conducted among nurses (n = 972) of five Fangcang Shelter Hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, from 6 March to 10 March 2020. A self-administered questionnaire including demographic information, work-related information, General Health Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale and Compassion Fatigue Scale was used. RESULTS: The prevalence of compassion fatigue among nurses in Fangcang Shelter Hospitals was moderate, and most cases were mild. There was a significant relationship between compassion fatigue and work-related factors, mental health and perceived stress among nurses working in Fangcang Shelter Hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Various factors contribute to compassion fatigue, including lower job satisfaction and job adaptability, less praise from patients, more fear of infection and more perceived stress. A good working atmosphere, organizational support and psychological consultation are essential to alleviate nurses' compassion fatigue during the anti-epidemic period.

COVID-19 vicarious traumatization links functional connectome to general distress.

As characterized by repeated exposure of others' trauma, vicarious traumatization is a common negative psychological reaction during the COVID-19 pandemic and plays a crucial role in the development of general mental distress. This study aims to identify functional connectome that encodes individual variations of pandemic-related vicarious traumatization and reveal the underlying brain-vicarious traumatization mechanism in predicting general distress. The eligible subjects were 105 general university students (60 females, aged from 19 to 27 years) undergoing brain MRI scanning and baseline behavioral tests (October 2019 to January 2020), whom were re-contacted for COVID-related vicarious traumatization measurement (February to April 2020) and follow-up general distress evaluation (March to April 2021). We applied a connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) approach to identify the functional connectome supporting vicarious traumatization based on a 268-region-parcellation assigned to network memberships. The CPM analyses showed that only the negative network model stably predicted individuals' vicarious traumatization scores (q2 = -0.18, MSE = 617, r [predicted, actual] = 0.18, p = 0.024), with the contributing functional connectivity primarily distributed in the fronto-parietal, default mode, medial frontal, salience, and motor network. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that vicarious traumatization mediated the influence of brain functional connectome on general distress. Importantly, our results were independent of baseline family socioeconomic status, other stressful life events and general mental health as well as age, sex and head motion. Our study is the first to provide evidence for the functional neural markers of vicarious traumatization and reveal an underlying neuropsychological pathway to predict distress symptoms in which brain functional connectome affects general distress via vicarious traumatization.

A structural equation model analysis of the association between work-related stress, burnout and job-related affective well-being among nurses in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: To test a model that examines the direct and indirect effects of work-related stress on job-related affective well-being through compassion fatigue. BACKGROUND: Despite the danger of infection, nurses' dedication to their work appears to be an innate desire to provide care for patients with COVID-19. Nonetheless, the universal effort to control the outbreak has led to extended work hours and workload, which has been defined as the primary contributor to work-related stress among nurses and might impact their job-related affective well-being. METHOD: We used a cross-sectional exploratory design. Data were collected using an online survey from 161 nurses working in the Saudi health care system. The survey included obtaining information on demographics and work-related stress using Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 to measure compassion fatigue as well as a job-related affective well-being scale. RESULTS: Work-related stress had significant negative direct effects on job-related affective well-being and positive effects on compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue had significantly negative direct effects on job-related affective well-being. Work-related stress exerted negative indirect effects on job-related affective well-being through compassion fatigue, which partially mediated the relationship. CONCLUSION: The findings supported the model and added to our understanding regarding the impact of work-related stress on nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Stress reduction is an important element in improving staff outcomes as well as job-related affective well-being.

Are We in Control of Our Demons?: Understanding Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in an Asian Pediatric Emergency Department in a Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The medical profession, with its remarkable physical and emotional demands, predisposes physicians to compassion fatigue (CF) and burnout (BO). Although these conditions have been studied individually, little attention has been paid to how pediatric emergency physicians experience these conditions in the context of an Asian emergency setting especially during a global pandemic In our study, we aim to understand the experiences of individual physicians and describe the potential triggers or protective factors of compassion satisfaction, BO, and compassion satisfaction among physicians in an Asian pediatric emergency department during a pandemic. METHODS: A qualitative, individual interview methodology was used. From March to April 2020, we enrolled 20 physicians involved in frontline care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the pediatric emergency department to participate. Semistructured interviews were conducted, audiotaped, and transcribed in verbatim, with identifiers removed. Themes were identified, and data were analyzed using qualitative data analysis and iterative data analysis. RESULTS: We recruited 20 physicians. Three themes emerged from data analysis. First, we showed how workplace conditions are protective, including work morale, leadership and management, and social support received. Second, workload affected participants emotionally and in terms of its heavier quantity and longer hours. Finally, intrinsic factors that were protective in developing CF or BO include having professional autonomy, experience, work-life balance, and having emotional resilience to develop self-care. Cultural influences affect emotional regulation and can lead to negative coping with negative peer pressure. In general, participants quantified their levels of satisfaction at work as average to above average. However, they highlighted experiencing greater stress during COVID-19 with the underlying fear of contagion and infection. CONCLUSIONS: Being a pediatric emergency physician puts one at greater risk of experiencing CF and BO because of work and nonwork stressors, especially during a global pandemic, influenced by sociocultural factors. A positive and supportive work environment should be created while providing culturally adapted strategies to improve individual physician resilience to maintain their well-being.

The impact of COVID-19 and experiences of secondary traumatic stress and burnout.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the relationships between multiple COVID-19 related stressors and experiences of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and burnout (BO). METHOD: This sample (N = 550) of professionals and caregivers from a foster care system in the United States completed an online survey regarding their experiences of COVID-19 related stress in multiple domains (disruptions in routines, income/employment, food access, medical/mental health care access, access to social support, worries about COVID, family conflict/violence, and COVID diagnoses). The survey also included established measures of STS and BO. RESULTS: A subset of COVID-19 stressors was found to account for 27.4% of the variance in STS and 24.7% of the variance in BO scores in regression analyses. Significant correlates for STS included worries about COVID, family conflict/violence and food access, while only worries about COVID and family conflict/violence were significant in the model testing BO. Part of the sample (N = 64) had participated in a related 2019 study of STS and BO and were included in comparison analyses of these conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results for T1 and T2 comparisons yielded significant increases in STS related symptoms of intrusion and alterations in cognitions and mood, with differences in total STS scores trending toward significance. No significant differences were found in BO scores. CONCLUSIONS: These findings and associated implications are discussed for groups of caregivers and helping professionals with preexisting high levels of indirect trauma exposure in a pandemic context. This study provides some guidance on how to identify those at risk for increased distress in their helping roles and considerations for implementing support strategies during a pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).