title: Compassion fatigue among pediatric healthcare providers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Compassion fatigue is a term used to describe the unique stressors affecting people in caregiving professions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  For nurses and other direct care providers, the impact of compassion fatigue may result in stress-related symptoms, job dissatisfaction, decreased productivity, decreased patient satisfaction scores, safety issues, and job turnover. Those who care for seriously ill children and their families are at increased risk for compassion fatigue. Constant exposure to children who are suffering, in combination with work place stressors and personal issues, may contribute to the development of compassion fatigue.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5 was used to determine the risk for compassion fatigue among 296 direct care providers at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress scores did not differ by age, work category, level of education, or work experience. There were, however, significant differences in scores as a function of nursing unit. Nurses who work in the pediatric intensive care unit reported lower compassion satisfaction scores, and higher burnout and secondary traumatic stress scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results demonstrated the risk for compassion fatigue and provided data necessary to support development of a compassion fatigue program for direct care providers.
authors.affiliation: Carole Branch is a Nurse Practitioner, Transplant Services, St. Louis Children's Hospital, St. Louis, MO. She can be reached via e-mail at cab2684@bjc.org Dean Klinkenberg is a Lead Statistical Analyst, Department of Research for Patient Care Services, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Branch
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klinkenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D000068376:Compassion Fatigue; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D008297:Male; D008923:Missouri; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires