The experiences of compassion fatigue and resilience among nurses in private medical facilities

[摘要] English: Individuals choose nursing as their occupation due to their desire to care for others who are in pain or are experiencing suffering. Although they experience a high level of satisfaction from their occupation, not all nurses are equipped to deal with the effects of being exposed to secondary trauma. Those working in trauma units are exposed to trauma on a daily basis and are therefore at risk of developing compassion fatigue (CF). The consequences of CF are noticeable in the personal and interpersonal lives of individuals, as well as in their occupation. Resilience, however, can mitigate the negative effects of CF. Therefore, it is important for nurses to enhance their level of resiliency. The aim of this study was to explore and describe South African nursing professionals' experiences of compassion fatigue and resilience. A qualitative multiple case study approach was used to elicit rich descriptions from research participants in connection with their experiences of CF and resilience. Six participants were chosen for the study. These participants were recruited by means of purposeful sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data for this study. Transcriptions of the interviews were done verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted in order to analyse the data. Four main themes emanated from the data analysis: firstly, the different types of fatigue and their impact on nurses emerged as a theme. The second theme consists of the coping strategies that aid nurses in overcoming CF and developing resilience. Thirdly, the intrapersonal characteristics needed to cope emerged as an important part of nursing. Finally, the ways in which nurses care for and support their patients emerged as a theme within this study. The findings reveal that trauma nurses experience various types of fatigue due to the amount of compassion they display. Therefore, making use of coping strategies that aid them in developing resilience, reduces the negative effects of CF. The insights gained throughout this study may contribute towards developing a greater understanding of resilience and how it can be used to mitigate the negative effects of CF.

[发布机构] University of the Free State