When does compassion fatigue hit social workers? Caring for oncology patients in Korea

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaehee Yi ◽  
Min Ah Kim ◽  
Kwonho Choi ◽  
Soohyun Kim ◽  
Allison O’Connor
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Psychosocial Care ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Oncology Patients ◽  
Professional Boundaries ◽  
Oncology Social Workers

Understanding compassion fatigue is vital to supporting the health and well-being of oncology psychosocial service providers and oncology patients. This study aims to examine when compassion fatigue is experienced and how it is dealt with by medical social workers providing psychosocial care for oncology patients. A purposeful sample of 12 medical social workers was recruited; each participant was working at a hospital and providing psychosocial care for oncology patients in Korea. Through in-depth qualitative interviews, the following themes emerged regarding oncology social workers’ experiences with compassion fatigue: (1) when compassion fatigue hits me (when bonding with clients, when facing a client’s death, when facing organizational hurdles, when feeling inadequate) and (2) how I deal with compassion fatigue (communicating with others, setting professional boundaries, finding ways to help myself, creating grief rituals, building professional identity). Implications and psychosocial interventions that may help reduce oncology social workers’ compassion fatigue are discussed.

scholarly journals Emotional demands, compassion and mental health in social workers

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-94
Author(s):  
G Kinman ◽  
L Grant
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Compassion Satisfaction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Emotional Demands

Abstract Background Compassion, described as the act of providing care based on empathy, dignity and respect, is intrinsic to effective health and social care. Although delivering compassionate care has wide-ranging benefits for service users, more insight is needed into its effects on health and social care professionals. The emotional demands of ‘helping’ work can engender compassion fatigue that may impair well-being, whereas compassion satisfaction and feelings of compassion towards the self could be protective. Aims To examine the effects (direct and indirect) of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue and self-compassion on mental health in a cohort of social workers. Methods We used validated scales to measure emotional demands, compassion satisfaction and fatigue, and self-compassion and the General Health Questionnaire-12 to assess mental health. We tested the main and moderating effects of emotional demands and the three facets of compassion using hierarchical regression analysis. Results The study sample comprised 306 social workers (79% female). Participants who reported higher levels of compassion satisfaction and self-compassion tended to report better mental health, whereas compassion fatigue was a significant risk factor for well-being. The models explained 44–53% of the variance in mental health symptoms. We found some evidence that compassion satisfaction and self-compassion buffer the negative effects of emotional demand on mental health, contributing 2 and 3%, respectively, to the incremental variance. Conclusions Our findings suggest that evidence-based interventions are needed to reduce compassion fatigue and enhance compassion satisfaction and self-compassion in social care work. We consider ways to accomplish this using targeted interventions.

The emergence of personal growth amongst healthcare professionals who care for dying children

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Beaune ◽  
Barbara Muskat ◽  
Samantha J. Anthony
Keyword(s):  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Dying Children ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTObjective:Compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious traumatization are prominent topics in the current literature on the impact of the rewarding but challenging work of healthcare professionals who care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. The positive effects of caregiving constitute a newly emerging outcome that has been relatively unexplored in the pediatric literature, and yet they may play an important role in contributing to the satisfaction and well-being of the healthcare professionals who care for children who have a life-limiting illness.Method:This paper reports the results of a secondary analysis of qualitative interview transcripts that explored the experiences of hospital-based pediatric healthcare providers caring for children with varied life-limiting illnesses. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 healthcare professionals (9 social workers, 8 nurses, and 8 physicians). The majority of participants were women (80%), with an age range between 20 and 60 years, and most (84%) had the experience of caring for more than 15 dying children. Thematic analysis was conducted using interpretive description and constant comparison.Results:Every healthcare professional interviewed experienced personal growth as a result of their providing care for dying children. Three dimensions of personal growth were most consistently reported: (1) new or altered life perspectives, (2) enhanced personal resources, and (3) benevolence.Significance of results:A deeper understanding of the phenomenon of personal growth could help healthcare organizations to implement innovative approaches that would counterbalance compassion fatigue, and thereby enhance both healthcare provider well-being and child and family outcomes.

Refurbishing services and how services enhance consumer well-being

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey F. Durgee ◽  
Garo Agopian
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Involvement ◽  
Provider Knowledge

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how services might impact a general consumer sense of everyday well-being or life satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach It was decided to focus on the existential benefits of refurbishing services and see how they might impact owner sense of self and overall life satisfaction. A qualitative study was fielded which consisted of analyses of website testimonials of customers of refurbishing services for products such as pianos, watches, boats, bicycles and other durables. Also analyzed were results from one-on-one qualitative interviews of customers of refurbishing services and selected refurbishers of similar products. Findings The study suggests that refurbish services provide a mix of hedonic and eudaimonic benefits. They provide an enhanced sense of self and general well-being insofar, as the newly restored item connects owners to loved ones, to other collectors or fans and to their own personal life histories. It also connects them to the refurbishers and their “magic”. Insofar as refurbishers invite customer involvement in the process, they co-create how the process will proceed, so customers feel a special involvement and gain an understanding of the workings of the item and how to best use it. Practical implications Refurbishing services might offer, like all the new internet-mediated sharing services, a more sustainable alternative to the buy-and-dispose consumption behaviors found in most world economies. Originality value This paper provides insights into the lives of products after purchase and the roles of relevant service providers. It also provides examples of how service providers in general might deepen and facilitate customers’ feelings about themselves and their daily lives. It shows how service providers can enhance customer hedonic and eudaimonic appreciation of provider knowledge, skills and efforts.

Institutional Barriers to Healthy Workplace Environments: From the Voices of Social Workers Experiencing Compassion Fatigue

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 1942-1960
Author(s):  
Linda Kreitzer ◽  
Sharon E Brintnell ◽  
Wendy Austin
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Outcome Measurement ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Workplace Environments ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract The good health and well-being of health care professionals is increasingly an important issue and one that is under threat due to dominant neo-liberal economic factors. These factors influence health care service delivery which in turn focuses less on employee workplace satisfaction and more on profit-making corporate business models. More work with less pay/benefits, less time to work with clients and the focus on outcomes has created workplaces in which employees are experiencing negative organisational cultures that, in turn, affects their health and well-being. One negative effect is compassion fatigue (CF). In Canada, a national inter-disciplinary research project was conducted for health professionals (n = 52) who self-identified as experiencing CF. From this research, an analysis of a sub-sample of the data of fourteen social workers was conducted identifying specific institutional factors that participants described as creating conditions for their CF. These factors are presented including: (i) cost-effective services within time constraints and political climates; (ii) erosion of relationship building; (iii) lack of communication between managers and front line workers; (iv) cutbacks in services; (v) climate of fear; and (vi) outcome measurement requirements. These concerns related to workplace environments and the health and well-being of health professionals are discussed.

Using Quality Improvement Methodology to Achieve NICE Compliant Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities Whose Behavior Challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S159-S159
Author(s):  
N. O’Kane ◽  
I. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Challenging Behavior ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Checks ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

BackgroundIn May 2015, NICE published guidelines for people with intellectual disabilities whose behavior challenges (NG11). Eight quality standards were subsequently developed by NICE to help service providers, health and social care practitioners and commissioners implement the necessary recommendations within the new NG11 guidelines.MethodsWe used a Quality Improvement (QI) methodology including process mapping, driver diagrams, and fortnightly QI team meetings. We conducted a baseline audit of the quality standards and used Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to pilot interventions generated by the team to improve compliance with the standards.ResultsBaseline compliance with the quality standards was low. We identified four priority areas for intervention: annual physical health checks, recording the indication of medication, multidisciplinary case discussion and concurrent psychosocial interventions for those prescribed medications for challenging behavior. Using a PDSA cycle for each intervention, we have demonstrated improved compliance with the NG11 guidelines. Compliance for the recording of indication of medication for all case reviews was previously 0% and now 100%. At least one target case is discussed at each MDT team meeting. Full results for annual health checks are awaited, but intervention has already shown an improvement in the uptake from 40% to 70%. Staff and carers knowledge of psychosocial interventions for people with challenging behavior showed an improvement after training.ConclusionsQuality Improvement methodology was successful in improving adherence to NG11 guidelines. We are currently assessing whether this is leading to reductions in challenging behavior and improvements to people's well-being.

scholarly journals Private needs, public responses: vulnerable people’s flood-disrupted mobility

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Christie ◽  
Liza Griffin ◽  
Natalie Chan ◽  
John Twigg ◽  
Helena Titheridge
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Informal Networks ◽  
Strong Response ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transport Services ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Negative Feelings

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of vulnerable people during flood events, impacts of changes in mobility on well-being and the extent to which frontline services, emergency planning officers and other service providers allocate resources for vulnerable members of the community to meet the challenges posed by floods. Design/methodology/approach – In-depth qualitative interviews carried out with 15 vulnerable residents, seven community representatives and eight service providers. Findings – Vulnerable people’s well-being was negatively affected by the disruption to travel caused by floods, though support from the community to some extent redressed these negative feelings. Whilst there seems to be a strong response from both the community and the local authorities to the mobility needs of vulnerable people during floods, what seems to be missing is an equal response from the private sector in terms of provision of transport services to access goods such as food and money. Practical implications – More needs to be done to make sure that communication and support networks are formalised to address the potential unevenness of informal networks. Private companies need to engage more with customers. Improved information and more resilient services such as 4×4 vehicles and doorstep provision of goods and money would directly support vulnerable people who are highly dependent on their services. Originality/value – This study is the first in the UK to explore and compare the private experiences of vulnerable people with the views of stakeholders who could support them during floods.

scholarly journals An Implementation Process Evaluation Based on an Integrated Psychosocial Support Program of Colorectal Cancer Couples in China: A Pilot Study

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Jieyu Li ◽  
Xingjuan Luo ◽  
Qiuping Li
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Psychosocial Care ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Personal Factors

Studies have shown that the qualitative process assessment of cancer couple-based psychosocial interventions is often ignored. This article aims to evaluate the implementation process of an integrated psychosocial program developed for colorectal cancer couples. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with eight colorectal cancer couple participants and two intervention facilitators. Normalization Process Theory was used to guide the data collection and analysis. Data analysis was conducted using a directed content analysis approach within a framework approach. Participants had a good understanding of the program significance. For most participants, the intervention duration was appropriate, and was well integrated into daily life. A lack of understanding of psychological nursing, and a lack of confidence in the use of online platforms and other personal factors, inhibited participants’ experience of participating in the intervention. The facilitator’s challenge in the implementation process was being flexible in dealing with situations occurring outside of the framework plan. Face-to-face and online psychological interventions require more flexibility, and participant cognition of psychosocial care was the key to the successful implementation of the intervention. Future research should consider raising participants’ awareness of psychological care to better integrate this type of intervention into participants’ daily lives and routine care.

scholarly journals A Scoping Review of Vicarious Trauma Interventions for Service Providers Working With People Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483802199131
Author(s):  
Jeongsuk Kim ◽  
Brittney Chesworth ◽  
Hannabeth Franchino-Olsen ◽  
Rebecca J. Macy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Vicarious Trauma ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Secondary Trauma ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Human Service Providers

Health and human service providers who aid traumatized individuals frequently experience vicarious trauma (VT). Although VT plays a critical role in service providers’ mental health and well-being, as well as in the quality of their service provision, little information is available concerning the development and implementation of VT interventions for service providers. To advance the development of evidence in this area, we undertook a scoping review in which we reviewed existing interventions intended to address VT among service providers working with traumatized clients. Searches of electronic databases were conducted to identify studies published in peer-reviewed journals, with no date restrictions. Over 1,315 citations were reviewed, and a total of 27 studies were included in the final review. The findings show that VT interventions in the literature can be divided broadly into four categories: psychoeducation, mindfulness intervention, art and recreational programs, and alternative medicine therapy. The VT interventions reviewed generally showed promise in their key outcomes, including reductions in secondary trauma stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health outcomes. However, the current body of research is lacking both in rigor and in specificity regarding the definition of VT. Furthermore, existing VT interventions are generally self-care based and tend to focus on general stress management rather than addressing the specific effects of VT. Therefore, we call for an increase in efforts to tailor VT interventions to different service settings and participant characteristics, as well as greater attention to developing primary VT interventions at the organizational level.

Moral Distress Among Oncology Social Workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. e947-e957
Author(s):  
Ting Guan ◽  
Krista Nelson ◽  
Shirley Otis-Green ◽  
Makeeta Rayton ◽  
Tara Schapmire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Moral Distress ◽  
Psychosocial Care ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Oncology Social Workers

PURPOSE: Literature on moral distress among oncology social workers (OSWs) is sparse. The aim of the current study was to examine the prevalence of moral distress and its domains of influence, and to identify demographic and work-related characteristics associated with moral distress among OSWs. METHODS: Data came from the Oncology Social Work Competencies, Opportunities, Roles, and Expertise survey, conducted from August to September 2020 (during the COVID-19 global pandemic). Data collected included demographic information (eg, age, sex, and race) and work-related characteristics (eg, job position, organization type, work setting, employment status, salary, years in the profession, and OSW-C certification). Moral distress was measured using the Measure of Moral Distress for Healthcare Professionals. Tests of association, including multivariate linear regression, were conducted to achieve the research aims. RESULTS: Total moral distress scores on the Measure of Moral Distress for Healthcare Professionals (range 0-432) for 745 OSWs ranged from 1 to 273, with an average score of 74.0. The three highest indicators of moral distress were observed in the patient or family experience domain. Higher levels of moral distress were associated with younger age, being a direct service provider, provision of inpatient cancer care, and more years in the profession. CONCLUSION: OSWs are experiencing moral distress. Institutional investments in professional education and support of OSWs are needed to mitigate and possibly prevent moral distress experienced by cancer care providers and thus ensure the delivery of quality psychosocial care for patients with cancer and their families.

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