Quality of Work Life, Burnout and Compassion Fatigue among Mental Health Nurses

Mohamed Abdelmaksoud, Wafaa; Hafez Afefe Barakat, Asmaa; Sayed Mohamed, Hoda

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2024.397866

Quality of Work Life, Burnout and Compassion Fatigue among Mental Health Nurses

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ B.Sc. of Nursing, Year 2013

² Assistant Professor of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing - Ain Shams University, Faculty of Nursing

³ Assistant Professor of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, Ain Shams University, Faculty of Nursing

10.21608/ejhc.2024.397866

Abstract

Background: The nursing profession is a much-demanded profession that creates a lot of stress. Mental health nurses face additional emotional strain that leads to an increase in the risk for experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue and reduced their quality of work life. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess the quality of work life, burnout, and compassion fatigue among mental health nurses. Design: A descriptive research design was utilized in this study. Setting: The study was conducted at Abbassyia Psychiatric Mental Health Hospital. Subjects: This study was conducted on a purposive sample of 180 nurses who worked in the previously mentioned setting. Study tools: Data was collected using three tools: Tool I: Socio-demographic interview questionnaire. Tool II: Walton’s quality of work life questionnaire. Tool III: Compassion Fatigue Self-Test questionnaire to assess burnout and compassion fatigue of studied nurses. Results: 91.11% of the studied nurses were females and their mean age was 35.25. Furthermore, 87% of them had moderate levels of quality of work life. Also, 34% of them showed a moderate risk for burnout and 42% of them had an extremely high risk for compassion fatigue. In terms of total of burnout and compassion fatigue: 43% of the studied nurses had extremely high-risk burnout out and compassion fatigue. Conclusion: The majority of the studied nurses had moderate levels of quality of work life, more than one third of them had moderate risk for burnout, more two-fifth of them had extremely high risk for compassion fatigue and total of burnout and compassion fatigue: In addition to that, there was a weak negative correlation, but statistically significant between total quality of work life and total of burn out and compassion fatigue of studied nurses. Recommendation: Design and implement programs to improve the quality of work life, reduce burnout and compassion fatigue among mental health nurses.

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