Coping strategies as moderating factors to compassion fatigue among critical care nurses

Abstract

Purpose This study measured levels of compassion fatigue, burnout and satisfaction among critical care and emergency nurses. It investigated coping strategies as moderating factors and as predictors to levels of compassion fatigue. Methods Using a cross–sectional design, this study was conducted on 228 (84.4%) out of 270 from four Jordanian hospitals. Nurses worked in different types of critical care units and emergency departments. Nurses completed a demographic questionnaire on the professional quality of life and coping strategies indicator scales. Results Nurses had low to average compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary stress syndrome. Problem‐solving and avoidance ranged between very low and average levels. Nurses reported having very low to average levels on seeking social support scale. Female nurses had better compassion satisfaction compared with their male colleagues, and the type of unit had a significant impact on the secondary stress syndrome, problem‐solving, and seeking social support. Nurses from the surgical cardiovascular ICU scored the highest mean scores on the secondary stress syndrome. Better coping strategies were associated with higher compassion satisfaction and lower levels of secondary stress syndrome. Problem‐solving significantly predicted compassion satisfaction, avoidance significantly predicted secondary traumatic syndrome. Conclusions Coping strategies are moderating factors that could improve compassion satisfaction among critical care nurses. Managers could use findings to create healthier and supportive work environments. We recommend focusing on activities that promote better coping strategies, including improving the social support system. We also recommend replicating this study using a qualitative approach to identify further causes of compassion fatigue.

WITHDRAWN: Prevention and Management of Compassion Fatigue (CF) in Clinical Nurses: a Qualitative Content Analysis

“…Nurses complained about the poor impression and inappropriate appreciation of society towards nursing profession and physician-centered issue in the organization and even society, and both of them were considered to be effective in creating CF from the nurses' point of view. In line with this, Barmawi et al noticed that level of social support among nurses is low to medium and must to be improved (31). Barr(2017) concluded that perceived social support had important direct and indirect relationships with CF in nurses (32).…”

“…An important nding that emerged in this study was the inappropriate and poor impression toward nurses in the society and in turn physician-centeredness in the health care systems and consequently they showed that it could be a factor in creating mental fatigue. Barmawi et al (2019) also mentioned low to moderate levels of social support in their study (31). Nurses complained about the poor impression and inappropriate appreciation of society towards nursing profession and physician-centered issue in the organization and even society, and both of them were considered to be effective in creating CF from the nurses' point of view.…”

Compassion Fatigue and perceived of social support among polish nurses

“…Nurses whose perceived SS score was higher were characterized by a lower level of BO (p = 0.002; r = -0.236) and in the case of family support a lower level of CF (p= -0.17, r = 0.02) [28]. In other studies, it was proved that higher CS was shown by nurses who sought SS (p = 0.011) [29]. [30].…”

How the Lagged and Accumulated Effects of Stress, Coping, and Tasks Affect Mood and Fatigue during Nurses’ Shifts

“…The second aim was to study the effect of coping on mood and fatigue. It has been shown that higher mean scores in problem-solving, avoidance, and seeking social support were associated with higher levels of compassion fatigue [ 40 ]. Thus, the question remains as to whether the coping strategy previously used or accumulated over time affects the mood and fatigue of nurses.…”