What work-related characteristics such as educational level, years in nursing, shift length, years worked in the ED, hours worked per week, and having adequate man- ager support are significantly associated with the preva- lence of CS, CF, and burnout among ED nurses?
HEALTH POLICY AND SYSTEMS Factors That Influence the Development of Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction in Emergency Department Nurses Stacie Hunsaker, MSN, CPEN, CEN1, Hsiu-Chin Chen, PhD, RN, EdD2, Dale Maughan, PhD, RN3, & Sondra Heaston, MS, NP-C, CEN, CNE4 1 Iota Iota, Assistant Teaching Professor, Brigham Young University College of Nursing, Provo, UT, USA 2 Professor, Department of Nursing, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT, USA 3Chair, Department of Nursing, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT, USA 4 Iota Iota, Associate Teaching Professor, Brigham Young University College of Nursing, Provo, UT, USA Key words Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, burnout, emergency nurses Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to determine the preva- lence of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout in emer- gency department nurses throughout the United States and (b) to examine which demographic and work-related components affect the development of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout in this nursing specialty. Design and Methods: This was a nonexperimental, descriptive, and pre- dictive study using a self-administered survey. Survey packets including a demographic questionnaire and the Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 (ProQOL 5) were mailed to 1,000 selected emergency nurses throughout the United States. The ProQOL 5 scale was used to measure the prevalence of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout among emergency department nurses. Multiple regression using stepwise solution was employed to determine which variables of demographics and work-related characteris- tics predicted the prevalence of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout. The α level was set at .05 for statistical significance. Findings: The results revealed overall low to average levels of compassion fatigue and burnout and generally average to high levels of compassion satis- faction among this group of emergency department nurses. The low level of manager support was a significant predictor of higher levels of burnout and compassion fatigue among emergency department nurses, while a high level of manager support contributed to a higher level of compassion satisfaction. Conclusions: The results may serve to help distinguish elements in emer- gency department nurses’ work and life that are related to compassion satis- faction and may identify factors associated with higher levels of compassion fatigue and burnout. Clinical Relevance: Improving recognition and awareness of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout among emergency department nurses may prevent emotional exhaustion and help identify interventions that will help nurses remain empathetic and compassionate professionals. The profession of emergency nursing is physically and emotionally demanding. Complex patient loads, long shifts, demanding physicians, a fast-paced environ- ment, and working in an emotionally and physically challenging area can cause stress for emergency de- partment (ED) nurses (Healy & Tyrrell, 2011; Hooper, Craig, Janvrin, Wetsel, & Reimels, 2010; Von Rueden et al., 2010). Compassion fatigue (CF) and burnout are 186 Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2015; 47:2, 186–194. C© 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International