An exploratory descriptive study of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction: Examining potential risk and protective factors in advanced nurse practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Larger patient caseloads and increased workplace responsibility for nurse practitioners (NPs) may exacerbate factors leading to compassion fatigue (CF). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the rate of burnout in practicing NPs by looking at contributing factors that play a role in CF and compassion satisfaction (CS). METHODS: A NP social media platform was used to distribute a survey to a convenience sample of 208 NPs. Data included the Professional Quality of Life Scale V (ProQOL V) tool, demographic data, and protective factor questions. The data were dissected for CF and protective factors of CS. RESULTS: The relationship of mindfulness practices and levels of CS was statistically significant. The relationship between support from family, coworkers, and administration and levels of CS was also found statistically significant. A large association was found between the correlation of burnout and support from coworkers. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Findings showed an average to high level of CS with a low-to-average burnout rate among the NPs surveyed. There was a direct impact between the amount of support participants received from individual support systems and their level of CS. These findings could be beneficial for new NP graduates in establishing a sense of community while reducing the risk for burnout.

Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in Australian emergency nurses: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency nurses are at risk of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue caused by exposure to suffering may compromise the individual's personal wellbeing and reduce work efficiency. METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional survey with open responses was conducted using the Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue (ProQOL) scale and open-ended questions. Responses from a convenience sample of 86 nurses from two hospital emergency departments in Victoria, Australia, were analysed. RESULTS: The median score for Compassion Satisfaction was 78% with all nurses reporting average to high scores. Most had average levels of Compassion Fatigue: Burnout median score was 53% and Secondary Traumatic Stress median score 49%. No statistically significant correlation was found between scales nor with influencing demographic characteristics. A qualification in emergency nursing was predictive of Compassion Satisfaction. Six descriptive job-associated factors contributed to nurses' stress: human resources, the organisation, job-specific components, patient mix and professional and personal components. CONCLUSION/S: Average to high levels of Compassion Satisfaction and low to average levels of Compassion Fatigue were found in emergency nurses. Issues contributing to stress were work and role related. An understanding of these stressors may help nurses and nurse managers to ameliorate emergency nurses' levels of stress and help limit staff burnout.

Examining the dimensional structure models of secondary traumatic stress based on DSM-5 symptoms.

Latent factor structure of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) has been examined using Diagnostic Statistic Manual-IV (DSM-IV)'s Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) nomenclature. With the advent of Diagnostic Statistic Manual-5 (DSM-5), there is an impending need to reexamine STS using DSM-5 symptoms in light of the most updated PTSD models in the literature. The study investigated and determined the best fitted PTSD models using DSM-5 PTSD criteria symptoms. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine model fit using the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale in 241 registered and practicing Filipino nurses (166 females and 75 males) who worked in the Philippines and gave direct nursing services to patients. Based on multiple fit indices, the results showed the 7-factor hybrid model, comprising of intrusion, avoidance, negative affect, anhedonia, externalizing behavior, anxious arousal, and dysphoric arousal factors has excellent fit to STS. This model asserts that: (1) hyperarousal criterion needs to be divided into anxious and dysphoric arousal factors; (2) symptoms characterizing negative and positive affect need to be separated to two separate factors, and; (3) a new factor would categorize externalized, self-initiated impulse and control-deficit behaviors. Comparison of nested and non-nested models showed Hybrid model to have superior fit over other models. The specificity of the symptom structure of STS based on DSM-5 PTSD criteria suggests having more specific interventions addressing the more elaborate symptom-groupings that would alleviate the condition of nurses exposed to STS on a daily basis.