scholarly journals Burnout and Compassion Satisfaction: Survey Findings of Healthcare Employee Wellness During COVID-19 Pandemic using ProQOL

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 121-127
Author(s):  
Meagan Dwyer ◽  
Marcus Alt ◽  
Joanna Brooks ◽  
Hannah Katz ◽  
Albert Poje

Introduction. Healthcare systems are being bombarded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding burnout, compassion fatigue, and potential protective factors, such as compassion satisfaction, will be important in supporting the vital healthcare workforce. The goal of the current study was to understand the key factors of burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction among healthcare employees during the pandemic within the U.S. in April 2020. Methods. The authors conducted a single-center, cross-sectional online survey using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Questionnaire and three open-ended questions around stress and responses to stress during COVID-19 at a large Midwestern academic medical center with nearly 16,000 employees.    Results. Healthcare employees (613) representing over 25 professions or roles and 30 different departments within the health system were surveyed. Participants reported low levels of compassion fatigue and burnout, but moderate levels of compassion satisfaction. Compassion satisfaction was notably higher than prior literature. Key areas of stress outside of work included family, finances and housing, childcare and homeschooling, and personal health.  Conclusions. This was a cross-sectional survey, limiting causal analyses. Also, based on the qualitative responses, the ProQOL was somewhat insufficient in assessing the breadth of stressors, particularly outside of work, that healthcare employees faced due to the pandemic. Although compassion satisfaction was elevated during the initial phases of the pandemic, providing some possible protection against burnout, this may change as COVID-19 continues to surge. Healthcare systems are encouraged to assess and address the broad range of work and non-work-related stressors to best serve their vital workforce.

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anelah McGinness ◽  
Margaret Lin-Martore ◽  
Newton Addo ◽  
Ashkon Shaahinfar

Abstract Background Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a noninvasive bedside tool with many pediatric applications but is not currently a formal part of pediatric training and practice. Formal surveys of general pediatricians regarding POCUS training are lacking. We aimed to quantify the baseline ultrasound experience and training needs of general pediatricians and pediatric residents across different practice settings. Methods In 2020, we sent an online survey to 485 current faculty, residents, and graduates from an urban pediatric academic medical center in Northern California. Pediatric subspecialists were excluded. Survey questions about baseline experience, comfort, and perceived usefulness of 20 common POCUS applications were developed by two POCUS experts using existing literature. Chi-squared analysis was used to compare residents versus attendings and to compare attendings practicing in inpatient versus outpatient versus mixed settings. Results Response rate was 20% (98/485). Compared to attendings (n = 73), residents (n = 25) endorsed more exposure to POCUS in medical school (32% vs 5%, p = 0.003) and residency (12% vs 5%, p = 0.003). Respondents endorsed low comfort with POCUS (mean 1.3 out of 5 on Likert scale). Of 20 procedural and diagnostic applications, respondents identified abscess drainage, bladder catheterization, soft tissue, neck, advanced abdominal, and constipation as most useful. Overall, 50% of pediatricians (and 70% of pediatric residents) responded that there were opportunities to use POCUS multiple times a week or more in their clinical practice. Conclusions There is an unmet demand for POCUS training among general pediatricians and trainees in our study. Although the majority of respondents were not POCUS users, our results could guide future efforts to study the role of POCUS in general pediatrics and develop pediatric curricula.


Author(s):  
Amanda B. Lykins ◽  
Natalie W. Seroka ◽  
Mark Mayor ◽  
Sarret Seng ◽  
Jacob T. Higgins ◽  
...  

Background: Although several studies have recently described compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in nurses, few to date have examined these issues across nursing specialties. Such examination is needed to inform future nursing-subspecialty tailored interventions. Aims: To examine (1) differences in CS, BO, and STS across nursing specialties and (2) differences associated with demographic, work-related, and behavioral factors among nurses. Method: A secondary analysis of survey responses from nurses ( N = 350) at an academic medical center. Demographic, behavioral, work-related, and professional quality of life variables were analyzed using hierarchical regression analyses. Results: CS, BO, and STS scores significantly varied across specialties with emergency nurses experiencing significantly elevated rates of BO and STS, and lowest rates of CS; scores were also differentially associated with demographic, work-related, behavioral, and workplace violence variables. Conclusions: Key differences in CS, BO, and STS by nursing specialty suggests the importance of tailoring BO and STS mitigative interventions. BO and STS risk factors should be assessed in nurses (e.g., behavioral health problems and poor sleep quality) and specialty-specific interventions (e.g., reducing workplace violence exposure in emergency settings) may be considered to improve CS while reducing BO and STS among nurses.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Kuei Lin ◽  
Caroline Richardson ◽  
Iulia Dobrin ◽  
Rodica Pop-Busui ◽  
Gretchen Piatt ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Little is known about the feasibility of mobile health (mHealth) support among people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using advanced diabetes technologies including continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and hybrid closed-loop insulin pumps (HCLs). OBJECTIVE To evaluate patient access and openness to receiving mHealth diabetes support in people with T1D using CGMs/HCLs. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey among T1D patients using CGMs or HCLs managed in an academic medical center. Participants reported information regarding their mobile device usage, cellular call/text message/internet connectivity, and openness to various channels of mHealth communication (smartphone applications or “apps”, text messages, and interactive voice response calls or IVR calls). Participants’ demographic characteristics and CGM data were collected from medical records. Analyses focused on differences in openness to mHealth and mHealth communication channels across groups defined by demographic variables and measures of glycemic control. RESULTS Among all participants (n=310; 64% female; mean age: 45 (SD:16)), 98% reported active cellphone use, and 80% were receptive to receiving mHealth support to improve glucose control. Among participants receptive to mHealth support, 98% were willing to share CGM glucose data for mHealth diabetes self-care assistance. Most (71%) were open to receiving messages via apps, 56% were open to text messages, and 12% were open to IVR calls. Older participants were more likely to prefer text messages (P=0.009) and IVR (P=0.03) than younger participants. CONCLUSIONS Most people with T1D who use advanced diabetes technologies have access to cell phones and are receptive to receiving mHealth support to improve diabetes control. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesly Kelly ◽  
Michael Todd

Background:Burnout is a concern for critical care nurses in high-intensity environments. Studies have highlighted the importance of a healthy work environment in promoting optimal nurse and patient outcomes, but research examining the relationship between a healthy work environment and burnout is limited.Objective:To examine how healthy work environment components relate to compassion fatigue (eg, burnout, secondary trauma) and compassion satisfaction.Methods:Nurses (n = 105) in 3 intensive care units at an academic medical center completed a survey including the Professional Quality of Life and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ Healthy Work Environment standards.Results:Regression models using each Healthy Work Environment component to predict each outcome, adjusting for background variables, showed that the 5 Healthy Work Environment components predicted burnout and that meaningful recognition and authentic leadership predicted compassion satisfaction.Conclusions:Findings on associations between healthy work environment standards and burnout suggest the potential importance of implementing the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ Healthy Work Environment standards as a mechanism for decreasing burnout.


2018 ◽  
pp. 95-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikaela Dehlin ◽  
Lars-Gunnar Lundh

The pleasure derived from helping others is referred to as compassion satisfaction (CS). When a psychologist feels a too heavy demand to be compassionate and effective in helping, however, this may result in compassion fatigue (CF). CF may take the form of burnout or secondary traumatic stress (STS). The present paper focuses on two factors that may possibly protect against the development of CF, and facilitate the development of CS: (1) access to supervision and (2) a reflective stance. An online survey was distributed to two closed Swedish Facebook groups of psychologists, and complete data were obtained from 374 psychologists (320 women and 63 men). Both variable-oriented and person-oriented analyses were carried out. Correlational analysis showed that both supervision and reflection was associated with more CS, whereas only supervision but not reflection was significantly associated with less CF. Cluster analysis gave a more nuanced picture, suggesting a non-linear and multi-faceted association between reflection and CF. Some clusters of psychologists showed the expected association between level of reflection and level of CF. This was balanced, however, by other clusters that showed an association in the opposite direction, indicating high levels of reflection in clinicians with high levels of CF, and low levels in clinicians with low levels of CF. The results are discussed in terms of these differences in associative patterns possibly being due to different patient populations being involved. Among the limitations of the present study are its cross-sectional design, absence of data on patient characteristics, and a crude measure of supervision and reflection. Keywords: Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, supervision, reflective stance


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 266-271
Author(s):  
Patrick M. Chen ◽  
Jamie Nicole LaBuzetta

Background and Purpose: Death by whole brain criteria (brain death) is a clinical diagnosis. We sought to identify aspects of brain death that were unclear to both health care personnel and patient families. Methods: Institutional review board approved cross-sectional survey study of attendings, medical trainees (residents and fellows), senior medical students, advanced practice providers (APPs), and critical care nursing (registered nurses [RNs]) at a tertiary referral center over 6 months (March 2018 to September 2018). Surveys were completed on paper or electronically. Participants supplied the top 3 of (1) their own personal questions regarding brain death and (2) questions received from patient families about brain death from a prepared list of questions. Results: Two hundred twenty-nine individuals participated in the survey, with a response rate of 46%. Participation rates in brain death declaration among attendings (92%), RNs (84%), APPs (100%), and trainees of which included fellows (92%) and residents (85%) were high. Most frequently asked questions by trainees and health care personnel were “What are brain death mimics?” and “What is the gold standard testing?”. Questions received from patient families most commonly include “What is brain death?” and “Is brain death reversible?”. All medical students had questions about brain death. Greater than 75% of attendings endorsed having questions regarding brain death. Conclusion: Many health care personnel are involved with brain death declaration, but there are gaps in their understanding about fundamentals regarding brain death. We identify a need for early and targeted brain death education regarding brain death and family communication for various members of the health care profession.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 436-443
Author(s):  
L Beetham ◽  
KE Cameron ◽  
LC Harvey

Background: Work-related mental health issues in New Zealand are increasing yearly and impact on how employees are able to cope with day-to-day pressures and work productivity. Work-related mental health issues are especially prevalent during times of great stress such as the coronavirus pandemic. Aim: In this study, the prevalence of compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction were assessed using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale and a range of demographic and descriptive questions. Methods: The ProQOL is a Likert-style survey for those in human- or animal care roles, such as veterinary nurses. It measures compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction, rating the scores as low, moderate, or high risk. The survey was hosted via an online survey website for 6 weeks. Results: The survey received 166 usable responses. The average scores indicated moderate risk for most respondents for compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. Conclusion: This research indicates that New Zealand's veterinary nurses show similar levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction to international results in veterinary nurses assessed prior to the coronavirus pandemic, indicating that New Zealand veterinary nurses coped remarkably well during the global catastrophe.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 658-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian C. Drolet ◽  
Charles H. Hyman ◽  
Kimeya F. Ghaderi ◽  
Joshua Rodriguez-Srednicki ◽  
Jordan M. Thompson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Physicians' perceptions of duty hour regulations have been closely examined, yet patient opinions have been largely unstudied to date. Objective We studied patient perceptions of residency duty hours, fatigue, and continuity of care following implementation of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education 2011 Common Program Requirements. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered between June and August 2013 to inpatients at a large academic medical center and an affiliated community hospital. Adult inpatients on teaching medical and surgical services were eligible for inclusion in the study. Results Survey response rate was 71.3% (513 of 720). Most respondents (57.1%, 293 of 513) believed residents should not be assigned to shifts longer than 12 hours, and nearly half (49.7%, 255 of 513) wanted to be notified if a resident caring for them had worked longer than 12 hours. Most patients (63.2%, 324 of 513) believed medical errors commonly occurred because of fatigue, and fewer (37.4%, 192 of 513; odds ratio, 0.56; P < .01) believed medical errors commonly occurred as a result of transfers of care. Given the choice between a familiar physician who “may be tired from a long shift” or a “fresh” physician who had received sign-out, more patients chose the fresh but unfamiliar physician (57.1% [293 of 513] versus 42.7% [219 of 513], P < .01). Conclusions In a survey about physician attributes relevant to medical errors and patient safety, adult inpatients in a large and diverse sample reported greater concern about fatigue and working hours than about continuity of care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynette Cederquist ◽  
Jamie Nicole LaBuzetta ◽  
Edward Cachay ◽  
Lawrence Friedman ◽  
Cassia Yi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Ethics consult services are well established, but often remain underutilized. Our aim was to identify the barriers and perceptions of the Ethics consult service for physicians, advance practice providers (APPs), and nurses at our urban academic medical center which might contribute to underutilization. Methods This was a cross-sectional single-health system, anonymous written online survey, which was developed by the UCSD Health Clinical Ethics Committee and distributed by Survey Monkey. We compare responses between physicians, APPs, and nurses using standard parametric and non-parametric statistical methods. Satisfaction with ethics consult and likelihood of calling Ethics service again were assessed using a 0–100 scale using a 5-likert response structured (0 being “not helpful at all” to 100 being “extremely helpful”) and results presented using box plots and interquartile ranges (IQR). Results From January to July 2019, approximately 3800 surveys were sent to all physicians, APPs and nurses with a return rate of 5.5—10%. Although the majority of respondents had encountered an ethical dilemma (85–92.1%) only approximately half had ever requested an Ethics consult. The primary reason for physicians never having requested a consult was that they never felt the need for help (41%). For APPs the primary reasons were not knowing an Ethics consult service was available (33.3%) or not knowing how to contact Ethics (27.8%). For nurses, it was not knowing how to contact the Ethics consult service (30.8%) or not feeling the need for help (26.2%). The median satisfaction score (IQR) for Ethics consult services rated on a 0–100 scale, from physicians was 76 (29), for AAPs 89 (49), and nurses 70 (40) (p = 0.62). The median (IQR) of likelihood of consulting Ethics in the future also on a 0–100 scale was 71 (47) for physicians, 69 (45) for APPs, and 61 (45) for nurses (p = 0.79). APP’s and nurses were significantly more likely than physicians to believe that the team did not act on the Ethics consult’s recommendations. Conclusions Based on the results presented, we were able to identify actionable steps to better engage healthcare providers—and in particular APPs and nurses—and scale up institutional educational efforts to increase awareness of the role of the Ethics consult service at our institution. Actionable steps included implementing a system of ongoing feedback that is critical for the sustainability of the Ethics service role. We hope this project can serve as a blueprint for other hospital-based Ethics consult services to improve the quality of their programs.


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