ONCOLOGY NURSES SPEND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF TIME at the bedside of patients who are suffering, which increases their risk for developing compassion fatigue (CF) and decreases compassion satisfaction (CS). Joinson (1992) identified the concept of CF in her study regarding the decrease of nurturing ability in emergency department nurses (Zajac, Moran, & Groh, 2017). Although Joinson coined the term, the concept of CF was expanded on by Figley (2002), who defined it as the cost of caring and, more specifically, a combination of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. According to Figley (2002), secondary traumatic stress is defined as the stress of helping a traumatized or suffering individual. Figley (2002) also described burnout as the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by chronic involvement in burdensome situations. BackgroundUsing Figley's (2002) definition of CF and its constructs, Stamm (2010) developed the Professional Quality of Life-Version 5 (ProQOL-V) CS-CF scale, which was a primary instrument for this study. According to Stamm (2010), professional quality of life is the quality that one perceives in his or her work as a helper, which incorporates components of CF (secondary traumatic stress and burnout). Stamm's (2010) scale also includes the construct of CS, which is defined as positive feelings that one may have toward helping others.A study by Wu, Singh-Carlson, Odell, Reynolds, and Su (2016) suggests that, while developing a rapport with patients and consequently developing an emotional involvement in their care, oncology nurses face immense emotional burdens, distress, and grief. Often, nurses experiencing CF tend to report physical symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle tension, headaches, emotional ability, anger, and poor judgment, which can potentially increase their use of sick days, create more situations where errors can occur, and decrease overall productivity (Adimando, 2018;Pfifferling & Gilley, 2000).In addition, practicing mindfulness and prayer has shown to be efficacious in decreasing the effects of CF and increasing overall satisfaction among BACKGROUND: Oncology nurses are exposed to stressors that may contribute to compassion fatigue (CF), leading to high rates of turnover, potential financial implications for organizations, and concerns for patient safety and employee well-being. OBJECTIVES:The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among CF, compassion satisfaction (CS), and turnover intention in a sample of 93 inpatient oncology nurses at a 90-bed urban cancer center.METHODS: Data were collected using paper surveys. CS, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout were measured using the Professional Quality of Life-Version 5 scale, and turnover intention was determined using the Turnover Intention Scale-6.FINDINGS: Burnout and CS were found to be significantly predictive of turnover intention. Strategies to reduce CF individually and organizationally may improve patient and employee well-being.

Background Professional quality of life is the quality a person feels in relation to work. For critical care nurses, it is composed of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Professional quality of life is affected by work environment. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has identified 6 standards for a healthy work environment. Objective To explore which of the AACN healthy work environment standards have the strongest impact on professional quality of life in critical care nurses. Methods In an exploratory, cross-sectional survey of nurses working in 4 adult critical care units of a single health care facility, professional quality of life was assessed using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), and work environment was evaluated using the AACN Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool. Results Participants reported compassion satisfaction and burnout levels as average and secondary traumatic stress levels as high. The composite average for all 6 AACN healthy work environment standards was good. A multiple regression analysis revealed true collaboration, effective decision-making, and authentic leadership as significant predictors of compassion satisfaction. Authentic leadership was the only predictor of burnout. Appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and authentic leadership were predictors of secondary traumatic stress. Conclusion Authentic leadership is the strongest predictor of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. Therefore, improving leadership should be a priority in intensive care units seeking to improve nurses’ professional quality of life.