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The role of psychological factors in oncology nurses' burnout and compassion fatigue symptoms

Duarte, Joana LU and Pinto-Gouveia, José (2017) In European Journal of Oncology Nursing 28. p.114-121
Abstract

Purpose This study explored the role of several psychological factors in professional quality of life in nurses. Specifically, we tried to clarify the relationships between several dimensions of empathy, self-compassion, and psychological inflexibility, and positive (compassion satisfaction) and negative (burnout and compassion fatigue) domains of professional quality of life. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 221 oncology nurses recruited from several public hospitals filling out a battery of self-report measures. Results Results suggested that nurses that benefit more from their work of helping and assisting others (compassion satisfaction) seem to have more empathic feelings and sensibility towards... (More)

Purpose This study explored the role of several psychological factors in professional quality of life in nurses. Specifically, we tried to clarify the relationships between several dimensions of empathy, self-compassion, and psychological inflexibility, and positive (compassion satisfaction) and negative (burnout and compassion fatigue) domains of professional quality of life. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 221 oncology nurses recruited from several public hospitals filling out a battery of self-report measures. Results Results suggested that nurses that benefit more from their work of helping and assisting others (compassion satisfaction) seem to have more empathic feelings and sensibility towards others in distress and make an effort to see things from others' perspective. Also, they are less disturbed by negative feelings associated with seeing others' suffering and are more self-compassionate. Nurses more prone to experience the negative consequences associated with care-providing (burnout and compassion fatigue) are more self-judgmental and have more psychological inflexibility. In addition, they experience more personal feelings of distress when seeing others in suffering and less feelings of empathy and sensibility to others' suffering. Psychological factors explained 26% of compassion satisfaction, 29% of burnout and 18% of compassion fatigue. Conclusion We discuss the results in terms of the importance of taking into account the role of these psychological factors in oncology nurses' professional quality of life, and of designing nursing education training and interventions aimed at targeting such factors.

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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Burnout, Compassion fatigue, Compassion satisfaction, Empathy, Oncology nursing, Psychological (in)flexibility, Self-compassion
in
European Journal of Oncology Nursing
volume
28
pages
8 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:28478848
  • scopus:85018539362
ISSN
1462-3889
DOI
10.1016/j.ejon.2017.04.002
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2017 Elsevier Ltd
id
46a0d63e-8724-4c6d-90cd-cec7579a3925
date added to LUP
2021-11-18 12:51:36
date last changed
2024-07-01 00:36:06
@article{46a0d63e-8724-4c6d-90cd-cec7579a3925,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose This study explored the role of several psychological factors in professional quality of life in nurses. Specifically, we tried to clarify the relationships between several dimensions of empathy, self-compassion, and psychological inflexibility, and positive (compassion satisfaction) and negative (burnout and compassion fatigue) domains of professional quality of life. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 221 oncology nurses recruited from several public hospitals filling out a battery of self-report measures. Results Results suggested that nurses that benefit more from their work of helping and assisting others (compassion satisfaction) seem to have more empathic feelings and sensibility towards others in distress and make an effort to see things from others' perspective. Also, they are less disturbed by negative feelings associated with seeing others' suffering and are more self-compassionate. Nurses more prone to experience the negative consequences associated with care-providing (burnout and compassion fatigue) are more self-judgmental and have more psychological inflexibility. In addition, they experience more personal feelings of distress when seeing others in suffering and less feelings of empathy and sensibility to others' suffering. Psychological factors explained 26% of compassion satisfaction, 29% of burnout and 18% of compassion fatigue. Conclusion We discuss the results in terms of the importance of taking into account the role of these psychological factors in oncology nurses' professional quality of life, and of designing nursing education training and interventions aimed at targeting such factors.</p>}},
  author       = {{Duarte, Joana and Pinto-Gouveia, José}},
  issn         = {{1462-3889}},
  keywords     = {{Burnout; Compassion fatigue; Compassion satisfaction; Empathy; Oncology nursing; Psychological (in)flexibility; Self-compassion}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  pages        = {{114--121}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Oncology Nursing}},
  title        = {{The role of psychological factors in oncology nurses' burnout and compassion fatigue symptoms}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2017.04.002}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ejon.2017.04.002}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}