Effect of Meaningful Recognition on Critical Care Nurses’ Compassion Fatigue

Abstract

Background As caregivers in high-pressure environments, critical care nurses are at risk for burnout and secondary trauma—components of compassion fatigue. Recent findings have increased understanding of the phenomena, specifically that satisfaction and meaningful recognition may play a role in reducing burnout and raising compassion satisfaction; however, no large multisite studies of compassion fatigue have been conducted. Objectives To examine the effect of meaningful recognition and other predictors on compassion fatigue in a multicenter national sample of critical care nurses. Methods A quantitative, descriptive online survey was completed by 726 intensive care unit nurses in 14 hospitals with an established meaningful recognition program and 410 nurses in 10 hospitals without such a program. Site coordinators at each hospital coordinated distribution of the survey to nurses to assess multiple predictors against outcomes, measured by the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Cross-validation and linear regression modeling were conducted to determine significant predictors of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Results Similar levels of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction, overall satisfaction, and intent to leave were reported by nurses in hospitals with and without meaningful recognition programs. Meaningful recognition was a significant predictor of decreased burnout and increased compassion satisfaction. Additionally, job satisfaction and job enjoyment were highly predictive of decreased burnout, decreased secondary traumatic stress, and increased compassion satisfaction. Conclusions In addition to acknowledging and valuing nurses’ contributions to care, meaningful recognition could reduce burnout and boost compassion satisfaction.

Recording Recovery Opportunities at Work and Functional Fatigue after Work: Two Instruments Adapted to the Swedish Context

“…It met with the criteria for adequate internal consistency and stability. This is in line with previous studies that have found that Cronbach's alpha and the ICC of the NFR scale are good [25]. Regarding the construct validity, there was a strong correlation between the Sw-NFR and the Swedish version of the Vitality scale from SF-36.…”

“…It was observed among critical care nurses' profiles that, whilst not in crisis, did not attain optimal levels of high compassion satisfaction and moderate/low fatigue although these individuals were not at crisis Jakimowicz [24] nevertheless, they remain at higher risk for compassion fatigue with necessity for improved postgraduate education. The relevance of meaningful recognition tools and other predictors of compassion fatigue have been assessed [25]. They obtained an equivalent extent of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction, overall satisfaction, and intent to leave from nurses serving in hospitals with and without meaningful recognition programs.…”

Coping strategies as moderating factors to compassion fatigue among critical care nurses

“…The average CS, BO and SSS scores categorize nurses’ responses in this study as being low to average levels. In the literature, various studies findings reported that most nurses in critical care units had moderate to high levels of burnout and CF (Hooper, Craig, Janvrin, Wetsel, & Reimels, ; Kelly & Lefton, ). Similarly, another study by Hunsaker, Chen, Maughan, and Heaston () found that emergency nurses experienced low to average levels of BO and CF but had an average to high level of satisfaction.…”

“…Nurses have always had exposure to a range of tragedies experienced by patients and family members (Beck, ). Their reactions to others’ profound losses or sudden unexpected deaths, especially in the critical care and emergency departments, have not, yet, received much consideration (Boyle, ; Kelly & Lefton, ). Compassion fatigue (CF) might develop because of the exposure to these traumatic events (Cieslak et al, ).…”

“…In part, compassion fatigue could explain changes in nurses’ sense of high frustration and job dissatisfaction, which may lead to lateral violence and an overall unhealthy work environment (Fernandez‐Parsons et al, ). There is a need for research investigating and suggesting interventions that tackle the ramifications of exposures that are repetitively present for health care workers, critical care nurses in particular (Kelly & Lefton, ). However, there is a need to investigate the presence of these symptoms as soon as they occur.…”