Evaluation of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among emergency nurses in Jordan: A cross-sectional study

Compassion fatigue is a negative result of caregiving and includes emotional exhaustion, depletion of empathy, and other symptoms more commonly labelled as “burnout” [18]. Compassion fatigue has two dimensions: burnout and secondary traumatic stress [18]. Nurses with higher levels of compassion satisfaction may have more internal resources to protect themselves against the negative effects of occupational stress. They are also more likely to engage in adaptive coping with individuals who have experienced trauma, which may help protect them against compassion fatigue [4]. Emergency departments are usually considered stressful workplaces. Compassion fatigue may contribute to a decline in patient satisfaction, an increase in the turnover of nurses, and medication errors [19]. The study's conceptual framework is illustrated in (Fig. 1).

Some studies have found high levels of compassion fatigue among healthcare professionals in most settings whereas other studies have found contradictory results. In the United States (US), two separate studies showed that 82 % and 46 % of emergency nurses reported moderate to high levels of compassion fatigue [12], [19]. A systematic review of burnout among healthcare professionals in Arab countries revealed moderate to high estimates of burnout [6]. However, Hunsaker et al. [7] studied 1000 US emergency nurses and found low to average levels of compassion fatigue. In Jordan, a study by Al Barmawi et al. [2] on 228 critical care and emergency nurses found low to average levels of compassion fatigue, whereas Ratrout and Hamdan‐Mansour [14] revealed high to severe levels of secondary traumatic stress.

Different factors contribute to compassion fatigue, including personal characteristics, job experience, education, and personal quality of life. Additionally, at the organizational level, the specificity of tasks and changes in the health system also contribute to compassion fatigue (Missouridou, 2017). A study by Das Neves Borges et al. [5] found that burnout and secondary traumatic stress were higher in female nurses younger than 35 years without a partner or leisure activity. Secondary traumatic stress also increased with fewer years of experience [6]. Kelly et al. [9] reported that age (21–33 years), more years of experience, and lack of recognition were significant factors. In Australia, the predictor variables were age, gender, profession, and workload [10].

Al Barmawi et al. [2] found that Jordanian male nurses had lower compassion satisfaction and the unit in which they worked had a significant impact on the level of secondary traumatic stress. Jarrad et al. [8] found that Jordanian nurses from different types of hospital units had increased compassion fatigue scores, along with nurses who smoked or used antianxiety drugs, antidepressants, and energy drinks. Ratrout and Hamdan–Mansour [14] showed that organizational factors were not significant predictors of secondary traumatic stress. Al-Abdallah and Malak [1] found that most of the emergency nurses experienced abnormally prolonged fatigue, moderate health, high psychological distress, high job demands, low job control and social support; income had a weak negative relationship, while psychological distress and job demands had weak positive relationships with prolonged fatigue. There was a significant positive weak relationship between psychological distress, job demands, and prolonged fatigue.

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