Association between level of exposure to death and dying and professional quality of life among palliative care workers

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 442-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tali Samson ◽  
Pesach Shvartzman

ABSTRACTBackground:Exposure to the death and dying of others is an anxiety-provoking condition that can contribute to psychological stress. However, the results of empirical studies that evaluated work-related outcomes among physicians and nurses with repeated exposure to dying patients are not consistent.Objective:Our aim was to evaluate whether a high level of exposure to death and dying (LED) can increase the risk for poor professional quality of life (ProQoL) in most healthcare workers, but it can also improve ProQoL in a subset of healthcare workers with specific characteristics.Method:We employed a cross-sectional survey designed to better understand the role of LED as a predictor of ProQoL among healthcare workers.Setting and Participants:Comparison of physicians and nurses with high LED (home-based palliative care units) with a matched group of physicians and nurses with low LED (primary care units) and evaluation of possible interaction effects among LED, death anxiety (DA), and engagement as predictors of ProQoL.Results:The final sample included 110 questionnaires from the high-LED group (response rate = 39%) and 131 from the low-LED (response rate = 24%) group. Workers with high LED reported an increased level of compassion satisfaction (CS) and low to moderate levels of burnout (BU) and secondary traumatic stress (STS), with no significant differences with respect to other healthcare providers. Although levels of CS, STS, and BU did not differ between groups, a univariate MANOVA revealed that the interaction effect of LED × Engagement reduced levels of CS and that the interaction effect of LED × DA increased STS among workers with high LED.Significance of results:LED was significantly correlated with ProQoL among healthcare workers with high LED due to the reported interaction effect. These findings imply, for the first time, that there is a possible correlation between engagement and the risk for poor ProQoL among workers with high LED. Further research is essential to gain a better understanding of this issue.

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 515
Author(s):  
María Elena Cuartero-Castañer ◽  
Paula Hidalgo-Andrade ◽  
Ana J. Cañas-Lerma

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of healthcare workers and their professional quality of life. This quantitative cross-sectional study aims at exploring the professional quality of life, work engagement, and self-care of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador. A convenience sample of 117 participants completed an online voluntary and anonymous survey between April and July 2020. It contained a sociodemographic section, the Professional Quality of Life questionnaire V, the work engagement scale, and the scale of self-care behaviors for clinical psychologists. Results show that healthcare workers have an average quality of life with high levels of compassion satisfaction and average levels of compassion fatigue and burnout. Data also indicate that the sample frequently engaged in self-care practices and had high levels of work engagement. The regression analyses reveal that gender, the number of patients per week, the perceived fairness of the salary, among other variables are possible predictors of professional quality of life, frequency of self-care practices, and engagement. This study contributes to the understanding of these variables among healthcare professionals in Ecuador. These results should be considered when planning policies and prevention intervention efforts to promote professionals’ wellbeing.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Zhou ◽  
Xinping Zhang

Abstract BackgroundAppropriate hand hygiene behavior is much crucial during COVID-19 pandemic, which is influenced by workload, mental health and professional quality of life. The increasing workload, worse mental health and negative professional quality of life are severe challenges for healthcare workers, whereas the evidence of mechanism between them and hand hygiene behavior are limited. This study aimed to understand and model how HCWs’ hand hygiene behaviors were influenced by workload, mental health and professional quality of life.MethodsA total of 1,734 healthcare workers were investigated, covering self-reported hand hygiene behavior, mental health, workload, professional quality of life and socio-demographic characteristics. Structural equation modelling was conducted to confirm interrelationships and parameters among the variables.Findings The final model had a good fit (CFI=0.980; TLI=0.941; RMSEA=0.055). Higher workload was linked to worse mental health (β = 0.165, p < 0.001) and higher burnout (β = 0.183, p < 0.001). Worse mental health was linked to higher burnout (β = 0.339, p < 0.001). The higher burnout was associated with worse self-reported hand hygiene behavior (β = -0.302, p < 0.001).ConclusionWorkload is positively associated with mental health and burnout; mental health is positively related to burnout; burnout is negatively associated with hand hygiene behavior. Thus, hand hygiene behavior can be promoted by the strategy to decrease the workload, burnout and enhance mental health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Galiana ◽  
Amparo Oliver ◽  
Fernanda Arena ◽  
Gustavo De Simone ◽  
José M. Tomás ◽  
...  

Abstract Background This research presents a short version of the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale, one of the most frequently used questionnaires in the arena of applied healthcare investigation. It measures burnout (BO), compassion fatigue (CF), and compassion satisfaction (CS). Methods A 9-item version of the ProQOL was developed. In Study 1, this short version, which used items from version IV of the ProQOL, was administered to 817 palliative care professionals from Spain, Argentina, and Brazil. In Study 2, the same nine items, but this time from version V of the ProQOL, were administered to 296 Spanish palliative care professionals. Results Study 1: The Short ProQOL showed an adequate internal structure, and invariance across the countries studied (χ2(106) = 185.620 (p < 0.001), CFI = .929, RMSEA = 0.058 [0.044, 0.072], SRMR = 0.081). Argentinians showed higher levels of BO (mean difference = 0.172, p = 0.042, Cohen’s d = 0.168), whereas Brazilians showed higher levels of CF (Mean difference = 0.384, p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 0.352). Study 2: the Short ProQOL again showed adequate internal structure and reliability (χ2(24) = 134.504 (p < 0.001); CFI = 0.953; RMSEA = 0.126 [0.106, 0.147]; SRMR = 0.063), and was related to coping with death, self-compassion, and self-care. Conclusions The Short ProQOL could help facilitate the application of harmonizing measurements and its use for cross-cultural comparisons and occupational health monitoring was satisfactory.


Author(s):  
Reza Azizkhani ◽  
Farhad Heydari ◽  
Ahmad Sadeghi ◽  
Omid Ahmadi ◽  
Azita Azimi Meibody

Objective: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are among the highest groups impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to analyze professional quality of life (ProQOL) and its association with emotional well-being in HCWs during the pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on HCWs being in close contact with COVID-19 patients in Iran. The questionnaires assessing ProQOL, emotional well-being, and demographic and occupational characteristics were recruited via email or social media. The ProQOL was used to measure compassion fatigue (CF), burnout (BO) and compassion satisfaction (CS). Results: Among the respondents, 705 HCWs were enrolled, including a higher proportion of physicians 449 (63.7%), females 452 (64.1%), and married 486 (68.9%). The mean of participants’ work experience was 8.41 ± 8.91 years. Almost all of HCWs showed moderate to high levels of CS (98.3%). Also, most of HCWs showed a moderate level of CF (96.3%), and the majority of them (76.6%) had a moderate level of BO. There were significant differences in the duration of contact with COVID-19 patients for all three components of ProQOL and emotional well-being score. Women had a higher level of BO than men (P=0.003). CS was significantly higher in married HCWs than in singles (P=0.007). Pearson correlation coefficient showed that CS had a negative relationship with CF and BO. However, there was a direct correlation between emotional well-being and the CS. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Iranian HCWs showed to have moderate to high levels of CS, and a moderate level of both CF and BO, and showed that emotional well-being had a direct correlation with CS.


Author(s):  
Wallace Chi Ho Chan ◽  
Raymond Kam Wing Woo ◽  
Denis Ka-Shaw Kwok ◽  
Clare Tsz Kiu Yu ◽  
Lawrence Man-Hon Chiu

Introduction This study aimed to examine the mental health of palliative care professionals in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic, the relationship of mental health with socio-demographic factors, and the impact of the pandemic on palliative care services. Methods A total of 142 palliative care professionals in Hong Kong participated in an online survey. The questionnaire includes measurements on depression, anxiety, perceived stress, post-traumatic stress, professional quality of life, items that measure the effect of COVID-19 on palliative care services, and one open-ended question for describing how the services were affected. Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. Quantitative and qualitative data about the impact of COVID-19 on palliative care services were analyzed and triangulated using a mixed-methods approach. Results Up to 82%, 43%, and 42% of the participants felt moderately to highly stressed, anxious, and depressed, respectively, during the pandemic. Younger participants tended to have poorer mental health and professional quality of life. Around 82% felt stressed when communicating with patients and family members under the no-visiting policy during the pandemic. More than three-quarters of participants showed lack of confidence in the anti-epidemic policy of the government. Qualitative findings identified 3 themes affecting the provision of palliative care: 1. the tightening of restrictions on visitors; 2. the limited provision of services; and 3. staff deployment. Conclusions Appropriate responses are required to give extra support to palliative care professionals during the pandemic and facilitate their coping with the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of palliative care.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205510292096505
Author(s):  
Wendy Wen Li ◽  
Guojun Xie

This study aims to explore mediating effects of professional quality of life on the relationship between big-five personality traits and job satisfaction in a Chinese healthcare setting. A total of 1620 Chinese healthcare professionals were recruited to participate in a randomised cross-sectional survey. The results suggest that professional quality of life transmitted the effect of personality to job satisfaction. Specifically, compassion satisfaction and burnout mediated the positive effect of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness upon job satisfaction; as well as mediated negative effects of neuroticism upon job satisfaction. Secondary traumatic stress mediated the positive effect of extraversion upon job satisfaction. The paper also discusses the cultural factors contributing to the mediating effects and implications offered by the study at the macro, messo, and micro levels.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Amparo Oliver ◽  
Laura Galiana ◽  
Gustavo de Simone ◽  
José M. Tomás ◽  
Fernanda Arena ◽  
...  

Compassionate professional qualities traditionally have not received the most attention in either critical or end of life care. Constant exposure to death, time pressure and workload, inadequate coping with personal emotions, grieving, and depression urge the development of an inner curricula of competences to promote professional quality of life and compassionate care. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the universality of these problems and the need to equip ourselves with rigorously validated measurement and monitoring approaches that allow for unbiased comparisons. The main objective of this study was to offer evidence on the generalizability of the awareness model of self-care across three care systems under particular idiosyncrasy. Regarding the sample, 817 palliative care professionals from Spain, Argentina, and Brazil participated in this cross-sectional study using a multigroup structural equation modeling strategy. The measures showed good reliability in the three countries. When testing the multigroup model against the configural and constrained models, the assumptions were fulfilled, and only two relationships of the model revealed differences among contexts. The hypotheses posited by the awareness model of self-care were supported and a similar predictive power on the professional quality of life dimensions was found. Self-care, awareness, and coping with death were competences that remained outstanding no matter the country, resulting in optimism about the possibility of acting with more integrative approaches and campaigns by international policy-makers with the consensus of world healthcare organizations.


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