Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: July | Volume: 9 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 58-62
Compassionate Fatigue among Nurses Working in Critical Care Areas
Dr. Assuma Beevi1, Mr. Abidfaheem TK2, Mr. Jibin V Varkey2, Ms. Joice Davichan3
1Principal, MIMS College of Nursing, Vadakedathparamba, Puthukode Post, Malappuram-673633,
2Asst. Professor, MIMS College of Nursing, Vadakedathparamba, Puthukode Post, Malappuram-673633,
3AGM, Nursing, Aster Medcity, Kochi,
Corresponding Author: Dr. Assuma Beevi
ABSTRACT
The study was conducted at two corporate hospitals of Kerala to find out whether nurses experience compassion fatigue at critical care areas. Objectives were to identify the Compassionate Fatigue among nurses working in critical care areas by using PROQOL 5 scale. Compare the Compassionate Fatigue among nurses working in ICUs and Emergency department and to find out the association between selected demographic variable and compassion in fatigue. Using purposive sampling 50 staff nurses working at intensive care units and emergency departments of the two hospitals were selected after necessary ethical clearance. 60.5% of the participants had average burn out and 59.7% had compassion satisfaction and 0.8% had secondary traumatic stress.75% of nurses working in these areas had compassion fatigue. The result also showed there was no significant association between other demographic variable such as Age (p = 0.658), Gender (p= 0.662), Qualification (p=0.706), Area of work (p= 0.362), Total years of experience (p= 0.602), Experience in critical care areas (p= 0.391), position in the unit (p= 0.781) and Number of patient assignment (p=0.222). While comparing the findings at two settings, it was showed that the mean score for burn out were 28.27 at Kozhikode and 21.81 at Kochi with a “t” value of 8.22. The p= 0.001 showing a high significant difference. While comparing the findings at two settings, it was showed that the mean score for burn out were 28.27 at Kozhikode and 21.81 at Kochi with a “t” value of 8.22. The p= 0.001 showing a high significance difference. The Compassion fatigue (secondary traumatic stress) also showed the same type of findings with mean score 28.4 and 25.13 with a “t” value 3.19 respectively, showing a highly significant finding (p=0.002). The results showed that there was a significant association between place of work and compassion fatigue (2 = 8.92, df = 2, p = 0.012). Compassion fatigue or secondary traumatic stress was more among nurses working at Kozhikode. In the present study, nurses working in emergency unit as well as critical care units both had average compassion fatigue.
Key words: Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue, Burn Out, Secondary Traumatic Stress