References
Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout during a pandemic
Abstract
Background:
Work-related mental health issues in New Zealand are increasing yearly and impact on how employees are able to cope with day-to-day pressures and work productivity. Work-related mental health issues are especially prevalent during times of great stress such as the coronavirus pandemic.
Aim:
In this study, the prevalence of compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction were assessed using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale and a range of demographic and descriptive questions.
Methods:
The ProQOL is a Likert-style survey for those in human- or animal care roles, such as veterinary nurses. It measures compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction, rating the scores as low, moderate, or high risk. The survey was hosted via an online survey website for 6 weeks.
Results:
The survey received 166 usable responses. The average scores indicated moderate risk for most respondents for compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction.
Conclusion:
This research indicates that New Zealand's veterinary nurses show similar levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction to international results in veterinary nurses assessed prior to the coronavirus pandemic, indicating that New Zealand veterinary nurses coped remarkably well during the global catastrophe.
Compassion is defined as the awareness of the suffering of others and the desire to act to relieve it (Sinclair et al, 2017). Compassion is at the centre of many care-related fields, be it human or animal, and there is an expectation that workers within these fields will provide their clients with care that is compassionate (Smith, 2016). A paradox lies in how the provision of these empathetic services can render individuals more vulnerable to the effects of ‘compassion fatigue’. A term first used by Joinson (1992) described a specific type of stress known as ‘burnout’, typically experienced by emergency department nurses. In later studies, it was also referred to as ‘vicarious trauma’ or ‘secondary traumatic stress’ (Bride et al, 2007), and as the loss of the ability to ‘nurture’ (Coetzee and Klopper, 2010). Recognition of compassion fatigue within healthcare related fields is of particular importance as it can impact the care received by the most vulnerable in our communities, and can lead to clinical mistakes in judgment (Jackson, 2004). Other symptoms can include, but are not limited to, generalised depression, disordered sleep, hypertension, feelings of helplessness, anger, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts (Bride et al, 2007; Kashani et al, 2010).
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