A comprehensive review of compassion fatigue in pre-licensure health students: antecedents, attributes, and consequences

Abstract

Compassion fatigue has been documented in the nursing and allied health literature as an emerging issue for health professionals. Little is known regarding the experience of compassion fatigue in undergraduate, pre-licensure students entering health care professions. This study used Walker and Avant's concept analysis methodology to explain antecedents, attributes, and consequences of compassion fatigue in undergraduate, pre-licensure students. Exploration of the published literature from January 1992-April 2020 occurred using systematic review criteria based on the Joanna Briggs Institute. Findings revealed three antecedents that included: Coping Ability; Self-Efficacy; and Clinical and Occupational Hazards. Three defining attributes of compassion fatigue included: Psychological Stress; Witnessing Negative Experiences of Others; and Depression. Consequences included: Decreased Well-Being; and Program Withdrawal and Intention-to-Leave. The results offer new perspectives and opportunities for research in pre-licensure health studies undergraduate students expected to uphold the values of their professional program prior to entry into the workforce.

Nature as Medicine and Classroom: Evaluating an Innovative, Outdoor Course for Medical and Dental Students

“…We feel such collaboration is especially important in light of the urgent need to implement effective ways of addressing the alarming and rising rates of burnout, compassion fatigue and detrimental effects of moral injury on the next generation of health professionals entrusted to our lineage of healing. 33 – 38 …”

Asociación entre empatía, ansiedad y bienestar psicológico en estudiantes mexicanos de medicina. Estudio transversal

“…Para los integrantes de este perfil, es posible que la mayor empatía ocasione un mayor involucramiento afectivo con terceros, la cual a su vez puede generar ansiedad y disminuir su bienestar psicológico. Una relación de este tipo entre empatía y ansiedad y bienestar psicológico es consistente con el concepto de fatiga por compasión, mayormente investigada en profesionales de la salud 6,7 , pero en menor medida en estudiantes de pregrado 34 . Al respecto, si bien la atención a pacientes no es una actividad común de los estudiantes del primer año de formación, el conocimiento sobre la duración y los efectos a mediano y largo plazo de una posible fatiga por compasión en esta población es escaso.…”

“…Se detectó un efecto principal para el factor año de formación, con menor puntaje en el IAB obtenido por estudiantes del último año de formación en comparación con el de estudiantes de primer y segundo años, con F(3, 313) = 3.58, p = 0.01, η p 2 = 0.03 y DHS p < 0.01 (Tabla 1). Se identificaron cuatro niveles diferenciados de posesión de empatía: bajo (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34), medio (35)(36)(37), alto (38-41) y muy alto (45-50), con F(3, 317) = 575.76, p < 0.01, η p 2 = 0.84 y DHS < 0.01. La empatía fue baja en 70 (21.8%), media en 69 (21.5%), alta en 92 (28.7%) y muy alta en 90 (28%) participantes.…”

The Role of Physiology, Affect, Behavior and Cognition in Leader Character Activation: A Music Intervention

“…However, researchers have not anticipated the interconnected nature of the dimensions of character that would fundamentally influence the dynamic. For example, high levels of compassion that are not supported by other dimensions of character such as temperance (calm, composed, patient, prudent, self-controlled), lead to what researchers have called "compassion fatigue" (Chachula, 2022). Finally, although there is agreement that character is revealed in habit, there has been limited attention to the development of that habit (Lamb et al, 2021).…”