Countering Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda
Countering Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda
The identification of compassion fatigue requires assessment of various helper characteristics germane to counter-transference reactions. Five characteristics that may contribute to compassion fatigue include:
Available instruments that measure the presence of compassion fatigue are limited in scope and appropriateness for use with nurses (Najjar et al., 2009). Their domains fail to capture unique aspects of the nurses' role and target only select populations (e.g., trauma). To date, the following three tools have been used most frequently to measure compassion fatigue:
Assessment of Compassion Fatigue
The identification of compassion fatigue requires assessment of various helper characteristics germane to counter-transference reactions. Five characteristics that may contribute to compassion fatigue include:
affective states in the helper
cognitive expectations and individual capacities to process information
ego-defensive processes
stress effects on the helper's self-capacities, ideological beliefs, and systems of meaning
coping abilities and techniques of stress management (Thomas & Wilson, 2004)
Available instruments that measure the presence of compassion fatigue are limited in scope and appropriateness for use with nurses (Najjar et al., 2009). Their domains fail to capture unique aspects of the nurses' role and target only select populations (e.g., trauma). To date, the following three tools have been used most frequently to measure compassion fatigue:
The Compassion Fatigue Scale (Adams et al., 2006; Adams, Figley, & Boscarino, 2008)
The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (Bride, 2007; Bride, Robinson, Yegidis, & Figley, 2004; Dominquez-Gomez & Rutledge, 2009; Ting, Jacobson, Sanders, Bride, & Harrington, 2005)
The Professional Quality of Life Scale (Stamm, 2009; Stamm, 2002)
