Protective factors of psychological vulnerability in Rescue 1122 workers with vicarious traumatization.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the protective factors of psychological vulnerability in Rescue 1122 workers and to find out the difference in work mattering, coping, grittiness, and psychological vulnerability between rescue workers of fire service and ambulance service department with vicarious traumatization. METHOD: A cross-sectional design was used in this study. A sample of 112 male rescue workers was collected from Rescue 1122 department, including participants from the ambulance service (n = 56) and fire service (n = 56) departments through a purposive sampling technique. Rescue workers who experienced vicarious trauma were enrolled in this study after screening through the secondary traumatic stress tool. Work mattering scale, coping strategies questionnaire, short grit scale, and the four-dimensional symptom questionnaire were used. RESULTS: Age, marital status, spouse age, and father's age were significantly positively correlated with distress. Colleagues becoming a target of violence and death of a colleague during duty were significantly positively correlated with somatization. The number of children was a significant positive predictor, and members requiring financial support were a significant negative predictor of psychological vulnerability. Interpersonal mattering, active focused, and active distracting coping emerged as significant negative predictors of distress, anxiety, and depression after controlling for covariates. A significant difference was found in active distraction coping between the fire service and ambulance service departments. CONCLUSION: Rescue workers who considered that their work mattered used religious coping and distraction or adopted a practical approach toward dealing with stress, and those who were grittier were less vulnerable to psychological symptoms. So, these can be considered as protective factors of psychological vulnerability.

Quality of work life for health professions in Colombia's adult critical care: An integrative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Health professionals in Colombian and many parts of the world, in some cases, work in precarious conditions and intend to migrate to other countries in search of better living conditions for themselves and their families, which results in inadequate distribution worldwide and in the quality of care throughout the health system, which can ultimately influence the quality of life of patients in their health-disease processes. PURPOSE: Describe in depth what quality of life at work is like for the health workforce in adult critical care (ACC). METHODS: This is an investigation of convergent parallel mixed methods approach that are integrated by means of a matrix in terms of convergence, divergence, and complementarity. Two methods are used: a transversal analytical method in which three instruments were applied to 209 participants to study the relationship between Quality of Life at Work, exposure to psychosocial risks, compassion fatigue and the intention to rotate; other than from the experiences narrated by 10 Human Talent in Health explore organizational practices in critical care. RESULTS: The dimension of quality of work life with the greatest dissatisfied was the management of free time (77%), the most compromised psychosocial risk was the pace of work (84%). They have high compassion satisfaction (67%) and there is an intention to migrate to another country (66%). The narrative results in discrimination/harassment as normalized practices and faceless spirituality. The integration of mixed methods shows convergence between the use of the instrument that measures quality of life at work and the narratives of the participants, complementarity with the other instruments, and divergence regarding the intention to rotate to another health institution. CONCLUSION: The positive trend that converges with the two approaches is that of safety at work and well-being achieved through work, embodied in the constant updating of technology and care protocols, experience time, balance between salary and work effort, staffing and supplies, and disconnection with work.

Factors affecting nurses' compassion fatigue: A path analysis study.

BACKGROUND: Nurses often experience compassion fatigue as a result of exposure to chronic work-related stress. It is thought that nurses' mindfulness levels and patience attitudes might be effective on compassion fatigue. AIM: Therefore, in this study, it is aimed to examine the relationship between nurses' compassion fatigue, mindfulness levels and patience levels. METHODS: The study was carried out in a descriptive and relation-seeking type and was completed with the participation of 469 nurses. Data Form of Demographic and Professional Characteristics, Compassion Fatigue-Short Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and The Patience Scale were used as data collection tools. FINDINGS: As a result of the research, it was determined that there was a relationship between the mindfulness and patience levels of nurses and compassion fatigue. As the mindfulness and patience levels of nurses increase, compassion fatigue decreases (p < 0.05). As the mindfulness levels of the nurses increase, their patience levels increase as well (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Accordingly, it is recommended to increase the level of patience and reduce compassion fatigue by applying interventions that will increase the mindfulness levels of nurses.

Managing well-being in paediatric critical care: a multiperspective qualitative study of nurses' and allied health professionals' experiences.

OBJECTIVES: It is well evidenced that healthcare professionals working in paediatric critical care experience high levels of burn-out, compassion fatigue and moral distress. This worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This work examines the nature of challenges to workplace well-being and explores what well-being means to staff. This evidence will inform the development of staff interventions to improve and maintain staff well-being. DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING: Paediatric critical care units in the UK. PARTICIPANTS: 30 nurses and allied health professionals took part in online interviews and were asked about well-being and challenges to well-being. Lived experiences of well-being were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: Themes generated were as follows: perception of self and identity; relationships and team morale; importance of control and balance and consequences of COVID-19. They focused on the impact of poor well-being on participants' sense of self; the significance of how or whether they feel able to relate well with their team and senior colleagues; the challenges associated with switching off, feeling unable to separate work from home life and the idealised goal of being able to do just that; and lessons learnt from working through the pandemic, in particular associated with redeployment to adult intensive care. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings align closely with the self-determination theory which stipulates autonomy, belonging and competence are required for well-being. Participants' accounts supported existing literature demonstrating the importance of empowering individuals to become self-aware, to be skilled in self-reflection and to be proactive in managing one's own well-being. Change at the individual and staff group level may be possible with relatively low-intensity intervention, but significant change requires systemic shifts towards the genuine prioritisation of staff well-being as a prerequisite for high-quality patient care.

Perceived social support and professional quality of life of health professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the perceived social support and professional quality of life (ProQOL) among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, encompassing both positive (compassion satisfaction) and negative (compassion fatigue) dimensions as well as the factors associated with them. DESIGN: A cross-sectional web-based study. SETTING: Nepal PARTICIPANTS: We carried out a convenience sampling technique to enrol 313 health professionals aged 18-60 years old. OUTCOME MEASURES: We employed the ProQOL V.5 questionnaire (comparing 30 self-report items) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support with 12 items to assess the ProQOL and social support, respectively. A χ2 test was performed to determine associated factors of different dimensions of ProQOL. RESULTS: The study included a total of 313 participants, mostly consisting of frontline health workers. More than one-third of the participants worked in places where precautionary measures were insufficient. However, the majority of them (73.8%) had high social support. Concerning the ProQOL, the percentage of health professionals that had moderate compassion satisfaction (CS), moderate Burnout (BO) and moderate secondary traumatic stress (STS) were 57.5%, 58.2% and 75.4%, respectively. Factors like sex, marital status, profession, work-shift, type of health institution and status of precautionary measures at the workplace were associated with the different dimensions of ProQOL at the significance level of 0.05. CONCLUSION: This study findings revealed a considerable proportion of BO and STS among health professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Implementation of appropriate interventions and support systems are needed to enhance CS, alleviate BO and mitigate STS among health professionals to combat future health emergencies.

Professional quality of life in animal research personnel is linked to retention & job satisfaction: A mixed-methods cross-sectional survey on compassion fatigue in the USA.

BACKGROUND: Working with research animals can be both rewarding and challenging. The rewarding part of the work is associated with understanding the necessity for animal research to improve the health of humans and animals and the knowledge that one can provide care and compassion for the animals. Challenges with animal research include witnessing stress/pain in animals necessitated by scientific requirements, end of study euthanasia, and societal stigmatization about animal research. These challenges could be compounded with more general workplace stresses, in turn, impacting job retention and satisfaction. However, these factors have yet to be formally evaluated. Therefore, the purpose of this survey was to comprehensively evaluate professional quality of life's correlation with key workplace metrics. METHODS: Six institutions were recruited to participate in a longitudinal intervention trial on compassion fatigue resiliency. This manuscript reports key baseline metrics from this survey. A cross-sectional mixed methods survey was developed to evaluate professional quality of life, job satisfaction, retention, and factors influencing compassion fatigue resiliency. Quantitative data were analyzed via general linear models and qualitative data were analyzed by theme. RESULTS: Baseline data was collected from 198 participants. Personnel who reported higher compassion satisfaction also reported higher retention and job satisfaction. Conversely, personnel who reported higher burnout also reported lower job satisfaction. In response to open-ended questions, participants said their compassion fatigue was impacted by institutional culture (70% of participants), animal research (58%), general mental health (41%), and specific compassion fatigue support (24%). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, these results show that professional quality of life is related to important operational metrics of job satisfaction and retention. Furthermore, compassion fatigue is impacted by factors beyond working with research animals, including institutional culture and general mental health support. Overall, this project provides rationale and insight for institutional support of compassion fatigue resiliency.

How Mental Health Nurses Report Their Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction: A Cross-Sectional Study and the Implications for Healthcare Leaders.

Compassion fatigue is the cost of caring for others in emotional pain where the helping professional absorbs the trauma of those they help and cannot detach emotionally at the end of the day. Stressful and perceived unsupportive work environments may leave the caregiver at a heightened risk for compassion fatigue. To study the level of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction experienced by mental health nurses. A descriptive, cross-sectional, electronic survey design was utilized. The Professional Quality of Life Scale-5 was used. The study was conducted at a large, urban hospital that exclusively treats patients with mental health and addiction issues located in Ontario, Canada. The sample included all nurses who were listed on the hospital's Email list. All nurses who are displayed on this list are mental health nurses. Analyses were conducted to assess for differences between the characteristics and the subscales of professional quality of life. One hundred and forty-eight mental health nurses completed a questionnaire. The response rate was 21%. Seventy-six percent reported moderate levels of burnout, 59% reported moderate levels of secondary traumatic stress, and 21% reported high levels of compassion satisfaction. Predictors were seen for the characteristics of gender, ethnicity, marital status, area, exposure to violence and support felt. Compassion fatigue has clear implications. Organizations willing to invest in reducing it, have the potential to improve patient outcomes and the well-being of nurses. The majority of mental health nurses reported moderate levels for each of the subscales.

Cultivating Self-Compassion to Protect Nurses From Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress.

Nursing burnout, a result of prolonged occupational stress, has always been a challenge in health care, but recently the COVID-19 pandemic made this issue into a national priority. In fact, burnout among health care workers is one of the four priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General. Health care leaders and organizations are eager to implement strategies to improve nurses' well-being and, thus, enhance their mental health. Much of the literature has focused on the antecedents and consequences of nursing burnout, but there is limited information on strategies that protect perinatal nurses from burnout. Self-compassion is emerging as one strategy that has a positive correlation with nurse well-being and a negative association with burnout, depression, and anxiety. In this article, we identify and translate strategies to promote self-compassion in perinatal nurses.

Effect of compassion fatigue on emotional labor in female nurses: Moderating effect of self-compassion.

Emotional labor is common in nursing but may be affected by the mental state of nurses. This study explored the effect of compassion fatigue on emotional labor and whether self-compassion moderates this effect of compassion fatigue. METHODS: A two-stage survey design with a convenience sample. Participants were female nursing staff recruited from emergency departments, intensive care units, ward nursing units, and outpatient departments of medical centers, regional hospitals, and district hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 300 questionnaire copies in each of the first and second stages were distributed, and 272 pairs of responses were retrieved (valid response rate = 91%). The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were tested, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with AMOS 21. The proposed hypotheses were verified using hierarchical regression conducted with SPSS version 25.0. RESULTS: This study revealed that compassion fatigue positively predicted surface acting (ß = 0.12, p < 0.05) and negatively predicted deep acting (ß = -0.18, p < 0.01) and expression of genuine emotions (ß = -0.31, p < 0.01). In addition, self-compassion negatively moderates the relationships between compassion fatigue and surface acting (ß = -0.12, p < 0.05), and positively moderates the relationships between compassion fatigue and expression of genuine emotions (ß = 0.15, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: To avoid excessive consumption of emotional resources, nurses with high compassion fatigue may employ surface acting by engaging in emotional labor without making an effort to adjust their feelings. Nurses need also be sympathized with, and such sympathy can come from hospitals, supervisors, colleagues, and, most crucially, the nurses themselves. Hospital executives should propose improvement strategies that can prevent the compassion fatigue on nurses, such as improving nurses' self-compassion.

"Wanna cry this out real quick?": an examination of secondary traumatic stress risk and resilience among post-overdose outreach staff in Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND: Post-overdose outreach programs engage overdose survivors and their families soon after an overdose event. Staff implementing these programs are routinely exposed to others' trauma, which makes them vulnerable to secondary traumatic stress (STS) and compassion fatigue. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of STS and associated upstream and downstream risk and protective factors among program staff. METHODS: We conducted a post-hoc analysis of semi-structured interviews with post-overdose outreach program staff in Massachusetts. Transcripts were analyzed using a multi-step hybrid inductive-deductive approach to explore approaches and responses to outreach work, factors that might give rise to STS, and compassion fatigue resilience. Findings were organized according to the three main constructs within Ludick and Figley's compassion fatigue resilience model (empathy, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue resilience). RESULTS: Thirty-eight interviews were conducted with staff from 11 post-overdose outreach programs in Massachusetts. Within the empathy construct, concern for others' well-being emerged as a motivator to engage in post-overdose outreach work - with staff trying to understand others' perspectives and using this connection to deliver respectful and compassionate services. Within the secondary traumatic stress construct, interviewees described regular and repeated exposure to others' trauma - made more difficult when exposures overlapped with staff members' personal social spheres. Within the compassion fatigue resilience construct, interviewees described the presence and absence of self-care practices and routines, social supports, and workplace supports. Job satisfaction and emotional detachment from work experiences also arose as potential protective factors. Interviewees reported inconsistent presence and utilization of formal support for STS and compassion fatigue within their post-overdose outreach teams. CONCLUSION: Post-overdose outreach program staff may experience secondary traumatic stress and may develop compassion fatigue, particularly in the absence of resilience and coping strategies and support. Compassion fatigue resilience approaches for post-overdose outreach staff warrant further development and study.

Trauma Registry Professionals' Perspectives on the Secondary Traumatic Stress Component of Compassion Fatigue: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue have been studied among trauma clinicians yet have not been explored in trauma registry professionals (TRPs). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe the secondary traumatic stress component of compassion fatigue among TRPs. METHODS: A qualitative, phenomenological study was conducted to examine TRPs' experiences with the secondary traumatic stress component of compassion fatigue. The primary investigator assembled a multidisciplinary team of researchers, including nursing leadership, registry educators, mental health experts, and qualitative researchers. Two focus groups were held virtually in January 2021, using an interview guide designed by the research team. Participants were recruited via an email sent to a list of colleagues known to the research team from training classes held nationally and selected for their diverse clinical experiences, years in the role, demographic background, and trauma center representation. The recorded sessions were independently transcribed and analyzed by a five-member subgroup of the research team; the analysis concluded in December 2022. RESULTS: Nine TRPs participated in the focus groups. Participants came from Level I, II, and III adult and pediatric trauma centers and military centers. Four themes emerged from the data: disquieting and rewarding work, reactions and emotional responses, the influence of personal histories and background, and coping strategies. CONCLUSION: A qualitative analysis of focus group discussions revealed the secondary traumatic stress component of compassion fatigue is present in the TRP.

A Scoping Review of Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction in Burn Therapists.

Occupational and physical therapists who routinely provide potentially painful and distressing rehabilitation to burn survivors are at risk for developing compassion fatigue. Burn therapists may also experience compassion satisfaction based on the successes their patients accomplish. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the literature related to compassion fatigue and satisfaction in therapists who work with burn survivors, explore previously reported predictors and mediators of (and responses to) these constructs, and identify gaps in the literature. Original, peer-reviewed papers published from journal inception to May 2023 were obtained from 5 electronic bibliographic databases: CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. Studies were eligible if they (1) reported compassion fatigue or its related concepts and (2) focused on occupational or physical therapists who work with burn survivors directly or as a member of a multidisciplinary burn treatment team. The initial search revealed 284 articles, 2 of which met inclusion criteria and are summarized in this scoping review. Neither article focused solely on burn therapists but examined the experiences of multidisciplinary burn team members working in single burn centers in North America. Both studies used a cross-sectional survey-based design to assess concepts related to compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction. This scoping review uncovered important gaps in the literature related to compassion fatigue or satisfaction in burn therapists. More research is needed to better understand the interplay between concepts as well as their relationship to burn therapists' outcomes.

Areas of work-life, psychological capital and emotional intelligence on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among nurses: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To examine the impact of six areas of work-life, emotional intelligence and psychological capital on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among Canadian Registered Nurses and licensed practical nurses. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 296 Registered Nurses and 110 licensed practical nurses answered a self-administered questionnaire measuring areas of work-life, psychological capital, emotional intelligence, compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in September 2019. The association between variables were analysed with descriptive and correlational analyses, while the hypothesized models were tested using multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: This study identified several areas of work-life and intrapersonal resources that impacted compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Among Registered Nurses, compassion satisfaction was predicted by psychological capital, rewards, values and workload. Compassion fatigue was predicted by psychological capital, workload, control and community. Among licensed practical nurses, compassion satisfaction was predicted by psychological capital and emotional intelligence. Compassion fatigue was predicted by workload and psychological capital. Study results also revealed significant differences in Registered Nurses' and licensed practical nurses' perceptions of workload, rewards and fairness at work, and both compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Registered Nurses perceived their workload to be more manageable and perceived greater rewards and greater fairness at work than licensed practical nurses. Compassion fatigue was higher for Registered Nurses than licensed practical nurses, while compassion satisfaction was higher for licensed practical nurses than Registered Nurses. Future studies should investigate the nature and span of these differences to suggest relevant strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue and promote compassion satisfaction for each of these nursing roles. CONCLUSION: The results of this study underscore the need to create nursing work environments that foster a manageable workload and positive social relationships, where nurses have professional autonomy, decision-making capacities and access to adequate resources to do their job effectively. The nursing work environment should also provide recognition of nurses' contributions and an alignment between personal and organizational values. Investments in the development and improvement of nurses' psychological capital and emotional intelligence should be prioritized since they are malleable and impactful intrapersonal resources on compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. REPORTING METHOD: This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines. PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: A total of 406 nurses were involved in this study by answering a self-administered study survey.

Professional quality of life and fear of COVID-19 among Spanish nurses: A longitudinal repeated cross-sectional study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate changes in compassion fatigue (CF), burnout (BO), compassion satisfaction (CS) and fear of COVID-19 among Spanish nurses by comparing two assessment points: before and after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has produced a great impact in healthcare worker's professional quality of life, especially among nurses. CF, BO and fear of COVID-19 decisively affect the care provided by nurses and put them at risk for mental health problems, so longitudinal studies are essential. DESIGN: A repeated cross-sectional design was carried out with a time-lapse of 12 months. METHODS: A total of 439 registered nurses in December 2020 and 410 in December 2021 participated in this study through an online survey. Data were collected using the Professional Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Occupational and sociodemographic variables were also analysed. This article adheres to the STROBE guidelines for the reporting of observational studies. RESULTS: The fear of COVID-19 has not been reduced among nurses. The levels of BO remain stable and continue to be high in half of the professionals. CF has been reduced with a small effect size (d = 0.30), while CS has also decreased (d = 0.30). Positive correlations were found in both assessment points between fear of COVID-19 and BO (r = .44, p ≤ .001; r = .41, p ≤ .001) and also between fear of COVID and CF (r = .57, p ≤ .001; r = .50, p ≤ .001). Negative correlations between fear and CS were also found (r = - .16, p = .001; r = - .22, p ≤ .001). RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Programmes to reduce fear of COVID-19, BO and CF are needed to improve mental health and to prevent psychological distress among nurses, as well as to increase CS and preserve the productivity and quality of nursing care. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The nurses collaborated by participating in the present study anonymously and disinterestedly.

The effect of the compassion levels of healthcare workers on their psychological well-being.

BACKGROUND: A sense of compassion has a core importance in health service delivery. Research on the psychological impact of being compassionate on healthcare workers is limited. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to examine the effect of compassion levels of healthcare workers on their psychological well-being. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive study. The population of the research consists of health personnel working throughout Ankara, the capital. The study was carried out with 414 healthcare workers. A personal information form, compassion scale and psychological well-being scale were used in the research questionnaire. RESULTS: A positive and significant relationship was found between compassion and psychological well-being scores. It was determined that compassion positively affected psychological well-being levels. The level of compassion showed that there was a significant difference between the groups according to the variables of gender, family structure, job satisfaction and whether they would choose the same profession again. The level of psychological well-being was found to be significantly different between the groups in education, job satisfaction and making the same profession choice again. CONCLUSION: It is a professional requirement that health professionals in patient care have a sense of compassion and reflect this feeling in their conduct. Research shows that the greater the compassion, the higher the psychological well-being. Therefore, undertaking training initiatives to make healthcare workers more compassionate can contribute to patient care and at the same time to the psychological well-being of healthcare workers.

The role of self-compassion and compassion toward others in burnout syndrome in a sample of medical students.

Burnout produces negative effects on academic performance, and, in turn, feelings of inefficiency that are detrimental to students' psychosocial well-being. The aim of this research is to determine the effects that self-compassion and compassion toward others have on various burnout dimensions in a sample of medical students. A total of 235 medical students (61.7% women) aged between 16 and 32 years old (M = 19.82; SD = 2.37) belonging to a Colombian university participated. A cluster analysis to segment the population according to burnout was carried out along with nonparametric contrasts to identify differences in the levels of self-compassion and compassion toward others between each profile. A series of regression analyses was designed to find out how each type of compassion was associated with burnout on each profile. The cluster analysis allowed us to identify three profiles. The low-involvement profile (n = 51) is characterized by low depersonalization, intermediate levels of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment and exhibits low levels of self-compassion and compassion fatigue compared with the other profiles. The positive-adaptation profile (n = 104) is characterized by low depersonalization levels, intermediate degrees of emotional exhaustion and high levels of personal accomplishment and exhibits the highest levels of self-compassion and compassion fatigue compared with the other profiles. The high-demand profile (n = 104) is characterized by intermediate depersonalization levels, medium-high levels of emotional exhaustion and high levels of personal accomplishment and exhibits intermediate levels of self-compassion and low levels of compassion fatigue. Establishing profiles based on burnout allows students to be segmented and for precise knowledge to be acquired about the effects that both types of compassion have on the dimensions of burnout.

Structural Factors Contributing to Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Hospital-Based Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

High levels of burnout among healthcare providers (HCPs) have been a widely documented phenomenon, which have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, qualitative studies that are inclusive of HCPs in diverse professional roles have been limited. Therefore, we utilized a qualitative-quantitative design to examine professional quality of life in terms of compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress among hospital-based HCPs, including social workers, hospitalists, residents, and palliative care team members during COVID-19. HCPs (n = 26) participated in virtual semi-structured focus groups or individual interviews and online surveys (n = 30) including the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Scale. While ProQOL scores indicated low levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, thematic analysis of our qualitative data included rich descriptions of compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. Safety concerns and value misalignment characterized structural stressors perceived to contribute to HCP compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. The discrepancy between our qualitative and quantitative findings may be indication that modifications to current screenings are warranted. These findings also suggest a need to identify and implement structural and policy changes that increase HCPs' physical and emotional safety and promote better alignment of institutional interests with HCP values.

Nurses' Experience After First Wave of COVID-19: Implications for a Trauma-Informed Workforce.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted nurses worldwide, increasing their risk of burnout and compassion fatigue. Although the literature on nurse deployment has been limited, this study describes nurses' experience and assesses their professional quality of life after the first phase of the pandemic and redeployment efforts. METHODS: In 2020, nurses returning from their deployment to COVID-19 treatment units were invited to complete the Professional Quality of Life Survey and gather for debrief sessions, referred to as campfires, in which semistructured questions about their experiences were administered among clinical nurses and nurse leaders. Employing a mixed methods design, the authors conducted descriptive statistics for survey responses and inductive thematic analysis to identify emergent themes from open-ended questions. RESULTS: A total of 19 campfires were held with 278 nurse participants. Of the 278 participants, 220 completed surveys. Of these, 194 (88%) represented 30 nurse leaders and 164 staff nurses. The majority of surveyed nurses in both groups reported compassion satisfaction despite reporting moderate levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Qualitative themes from campfires with clinical nurses and nurse leaders revealed similarities, such as concern for safety and lack of choices and transparency, although each group faced unique challenges. CONCLUSIONS: Findings related to post deployment and adverse psychological health suggest that a trauma-informed approach (ie, staff autonomy, physical and psychological safety, transparency, offering choices, leveraging voices, and collaboration) by leaders could enhance a culture of wellness, build resilience, and mitigate empathic burnout and also proactively and strategically thinking about preventive measures for future catastrophic events.

Contributing factors to secondary traumatic stress and vicarious posttraumatic growth in therapists.

Alongside the recognized potential negative repercussions of working as a psychological therapist, there is growing interest in the potential positive impacts of engaging in such work. The current study used a cross-sectional online survey design to explore the impact of a range of demographic, work-related, and compassion-related factors on levels of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG) in an international sample of 359 psychological therapists. Hierarchical multiple regressions demonstrated that burnout, lower levels of self-compassion, having a personal trauma history, reporting a higher percentage of working time with a trauma focus, and being female were the statistically significant contributors to STS scores, explaining 40.8% of the variance, F(9, 304) = 23.2, p <.001. For VPTG, higher compassion satisfaction, higher self-compassion, higher STS, a higher percentage of working time with a trauma focus, fewer years qualified, being male, and having a personal trauma history were all statistically significant contributors, explaining 27.3% of the variance, F (10, 304) = 11.37, p <.001. The findings illustrate the potential risk and protective factors for developing STS and clarify factors that may increase the likelihood of experiencing VPTG. Implications for psychological therapists and the organizations and institutions for which they work are considered along with potential directions for future research in the discussion.

[Study on the current status and relationship between psychological capital and compassion fatigue with work engagement of clinical nurses].

Objective: To explore the relationship between clinical nurses' psychological capital, compassion fatigue with work engagement, and analyze the mediating effect of psychological capital between compassion fatigue and work engagement, so as to provide scientific evidence for reducing compassion fatigue and improving work engagement of clinical nurses. Methods: From December 2021 to February 2022, 494 clinical nurses from 7 general hospitals in Sichuan Province were selected for the study using convenience sampling. The General Information Questionnaire, the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale, the Work Engagement Short Scale and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire for Nurses were used to conduct the survey. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between compassion fatigue, work engagement and psychological capital. And stepwise regression analysis and Bootstrap method were used to analyze the effects of compassion fatigue and psychological capital on work engagement as well as the mediating effect of psychological capital between compassion fatigue and work engagement. Results: Of the 494 clinical nurses, 33 (6.7%) were male and 461 (93.3%) were female, with an average age of (31.47±6.89) years old and an average working years (9.87±7.61) years. The average scores of psychological capital, compassion fatigue and work engagement of clinical nurses were (5.01±0.76), (3.19±2.08) and (4.60±1.37) points, respectively. Compassion fatigue was negatively correlated with psychological capital and work engagement (r=-0.608, -0.580, P<0.001), and work engagement was positively correlated with psychological capital (r=0.771, P<0.001). Compassion fatigue and psychological capital together accounted for 61.3% of the variation in work engagement, with the direct effects on work engagement were -0.206 (95%CI: -0.283--0.138, P<0.001) and 0.677 (95%CI: 0.599-0.744, P=0.001), respectively. Psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between compassion fatigue and work engagement, with a mediating effect of -0.397 (95%CI: -0.456--0.340, P<0.001), accounting for 65.8% of the total effect. Conclusion: The work engagement of clinical nurses is at a high level. Managers should take targeted measures to alleviate the symptoms of clinical nurses' compassion fatigue, improve their psychological capital, and then stabilize and improve their level of work engagement.