Compassion Fatigue and Burnout: Awareness and Prevention for the Novice Nurse Population

• Main Author: Lopez, Jamie B
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2018
• Subjects: Burnout; Compassion Fatigue; Novice Nurses; resiliency; Retention; Self-care; Nursing
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5094; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6373&context=dissertations

Compassion fatigue (CF) and burnout (BO) in the novice nurse population can negatively affect the organization, patient safety, patient satisfaction, and the individual. Novice nurses are susceptible to the development of CF and BO due to a lack of knowledge about the causes and the stress experienced as the novice nurse transitions to practice. The purpose of this staff education project was to fill the gap in practice by creating awareness about CF and BO during the nurse orientation process and by providing prevention strategies. The relationship-based care model and the theory of planned behavior were used to guide the project development and to discover motivational factors to encourage self-care and improve the well-being and resiliency of the novice nurse. The post-education evaluation was an anonymous, 10-question, Likert-type survey. All participants scored each question based on the course learning objectives, feasibility, and efficacy of the program, with a (5) strongly agree or (4) agree. A descriptive analysis of the data collected from the survey scores provided information that positively supported the practice-focused question that staff education on CF, BO, and prevention strategies would add value to the novice nurses' orientation program by validating the stressors of working with patients and providing tools to promote self-care as they transition from student to practicing registered nurses. Future recommendations would be to offer this education to staff nurses in all units during the annual skills day, huddles, and staff meetings. This project has the ability to create positive social change by educating novice nurses early in their career about the symptoms and self-care measures designed to promote resiliency, thus preventing CF and BO.