Predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers providing health and rehabilitation services in rural and remote locations: A scoping review

Abstract

Introduction A better understanding of the predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers in rural and remote communities is needed to inform preventative interventions for this sector of the health workforce. Objective To identify predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers providing health and rehabilitation services in rural and remote locations. Design A scoping review informed by Arksey and O'Malley's five‐stage framework and the scoping review protocol of the PRISMA‐ScR statement. Findings The search yielded 946 articles, and 34 full texts were screened for eligibility, leaving 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. No studies on workers providing rehabilitation services were identified. Three studies assessed possible predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers, and all studies evaluated burnout. The most studied predictor variables were age, gender, profession and workload. Discussion This study identified potential risk and protective factors for health care workers that are likely relevant to those providing rehabilitation services in rural locations. Little is known about possible predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in professionals working in rural and remote areas outside of medicine and nursing or health care workers in rural community‐based settings. Conclusion Research examining predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in rehabilitation health care workers working in rural and remote locations is scant. Research that identifies risk and protective factors in this rapidly growing sector of the health care workforce is needed to inform the development of interventions that promote professional quality of life.

Providing compassionate care in a virtual context: Qualitative exploration of Canadian primary care nurses’ experiences

“…values, sex, roles and relations) and work-related (e.g. workload, work environment, job demands) factors, organizational culture and values, social support, and community at work, 60 our results highlight the importance of the perceived level of respect or value patients place on the time and care provided by nurses. Findings from a systematic review indicated that nurses who provided care during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced moderate and high level of burnout.…”

Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue: Experiences of Rehabilitation Healthcare Workers in Rural and Remote Locations in Australia

“…Importantly, within this study, we adopted a "codebook" version of Tematic Analysis [22]. An initial "codebook" was developed with potential codes drawn from a prior scoping review of relevant literature [9]. Tis was however a fexible starting point with expectation that codes would be refned and removed and new codes would be developed through inductive data engagement and the analytic process [22].…”

“…A recent review identifed that there is very little research available on the experiences of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in rural and remote settings outside the occupations of medicine and nursing [9]. Within these two professions, contributions to greater compassion fatigue and lower compassion satisfaction have been identifed for rural and remote workers.…”

Listening to other people's traumatic experiences: What makes it hard and what could protect professionals from developing related distress? A qualitative investigation

“…The studies included in these reviews highlighted various risk factors for post‐IET distress, including but not limited to, personal history of trauma, blurred boundaries, poor physical health, inadequate training, fewer years or professional experience, high peri‐traumatic stress or stress levels at work (reflected through inadequate staffing or resources, working nightshifts, having a heavier caseload, etc. ), personality traits (e.g., empathic aptitude, lower levels of dispositional optimism or mindfulness), poor self‐care, lack of social support and unhelpful use of alcohol and tobacco (Baird & Kracen, 2006; Greinacher et al., 2019; Hensel et al., 2015; McGrath et al., 2022; Page & Robertson, 2022; Rhineberger‐Dunn et al., 2016; Rivera‐Kloeppel & Mendenhall, 2021; Sinclair et al., 2017; Turgoose et al., 2017). Nevertheless, the results of these reviews are sometimes inconsistent and thus difficult to meaningfully synthesise.…”