Reconciling Incongruencies: A Straussian Grounded Theory Approach to Defining Oncology Nurses' Professional Quality of Life.

This grounded theory study explored the processes and actions enacted by oncology nurses to enhance professional quality of life and the related meaning, facilitators, and barriers. Oncology nurses described a process by which they continually Reconcile Incongruencies. This process involves 4 categories: Accepting the Context of Oncology Nursing, Bettering the World, Pursuing a Calling, and Being Valued. External facilitators and barriers, self-driven actions to maintain, and consequences of professional quality of life were also revealed. The findings from this study offer an operational definition, a foundation for instrument development, and the consequences of oncology nurses' professional quality of life.

Measuring Professional Quality of Life in Nurses: A Realist Review.

Oncology nurses are at risk for compassion fatigue, which is often assessed using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL). Nursing researchers and leaders use the ProQOL to determine risk for compassion fatigue or effectiveness of interventions to reduce compassion fatigue. However, the ProQOL was designed for social workers, and research has shown it to be less suitable to assess the work of nurses. This article synthesizes a realist review of the literature about instruments measuring nurses' professional quality of life (QOL). The following three themes emerged: (a) a robust body of literature aimed at defining professional QOL, (b) a limited historical context of the ProQOL instrument, and (c) newer instruments. Findings suggest that the ProQOL-21 and the Risk Factors for Compassion Fatigue Inventory are more specific to nursing and better suited to measure nurses' perceived professional QOL.

Student Veterans' Coping with Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: A Glaserian Grounded Theory Study.

The present study investigated the ways in which student military veterans cope with their posttraumatic stress symptoms. The participants were a total of 21 military veterans attending a U.S. university. The results of the grounded theory data analysis reveal the core category of modulating intrusions, a process indicating how student veterans cope with recurrent and unwanted posttraumatic stress experiences. Our findings also demonstrate that veterans cope by either avoiding or allowing themselves to experience the pain associated from their traumatic experiences. The proposed framework can be meaningfully used to facilitate the development of adaptive coping among veterans with posttraumatic stress.