This quantitative and qualitative longitudinal study was designed to examine the effects on caregivers working therapeutically with seriously traumatized people. The participants were 13 healthcare workers seconded into a trauma and recovery team (TRT) set up to help those traumatized by the Omagh bombing on 15 August 1998. Quantitative data were collected using the Compassion Satisfaction/Fati...

To better understand clinical empathy and what factors can undermine its experience and outcome in care-giving settings, a large-scale study was conducted with 7,584 board certified practicing physicians. Online validated instruments assessing different aspects of empathy, distress, burnout, altruistic behavior, emotional awareness, and well-being were used. Compassion satisfaction was strongly...

Compassion fatigue is the emotional exhaustion and stress that nurses can feel when caring for terminally ill patients. This can contribute to high nursing turnover rates, result in poor job satisfaction, and lead to decreased ability to provide quality care. Oncology nurses are vulnerable to compassion fatigue because they develop relationships with patients battling life-threatening illnesses...

This review provides an overview of the research on nonverbal expressions of positive emotions, organised into emotion families, that is, clusters sharing common characteristics. Epistemological positive emotions (amusement, relief, awe, and interest) are found to have distinct, recognisable displays via vocal or facial cues, while the agency-approach positive emotions (elation and pride) appea...

The goal of this phenomenological study was to explore what within the lived experiences of exemplary oncology nurses facilitates the avoidance of compassion fatigue. A purposive sample of seven oncology nurses (RNs) who were identified by their colleagues as exemplary caregivers was recruited. Data were collected through semi-structured conversations that were subsequently transcribed. Transcr...

Oncology nurses frequently care for patients who are dying or near death, leading to emotional distress, compassion fatigue, and staff turnover. Providing appropriate social and professional support to nursing staff is imperative to maintaining satisfaction and decreasing turnover. Inpatient and outpatient oncology staff should identify the signs of compassion fatigue and know how to perform se...