Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Nursing Administration Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

PDF

Burnout

Discipline
Institution
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type

Articles 1 - 30 of 35

Full-Text Articles in Nursing Administration

A Conceptual Model Of Organizational Compassion In Healthcare, Rachel Thienprayoon, Eli Awtrey, Teresa Pestian, Beth A. Lown, Naomi Winick, Jason Kanov Apr 2024

A Conceptual Model Of Organizational Compassion In Healthcare, Rachel Thienprayoon, Eli Awtrey, Teresa Pestian, Beth A. Lown, Naomi Winick, Jason Kanov

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: In healthcare, while the suffering of patients is often evident, the suffering of clinicians receives less focus. Some sources of clinician distress are directly related to constant exposure to patient suffering, but others are caused by the health care system, and thus potentially preventable. Looking at clinician suffering through the lens of compassion fosters a new paradigm of individual, team, and organizational capabilities, and moves the responsibility to alleviate this suffering from the individual onto the organization and team. Yet research into the impact of organizational compassion in healthcare has been extremely limited.

Approach: Our conceptual model of organizational …


Coping Strategies And Stress Of The Undergraduate Nursing Student In The Clinical Setting: An Evidence Based Practice Quantitative Study, Ashley Calverley Mar 2024

Coping Strategies And Stress Of The Undergraduate Nursing Student In The Clinical Setting: An Evidence Based Practice Quantitative Study, Ashley Calverley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The assessment of perceived stress and coping behaviors related to first-semester clinical might benefit students in nursing education. The assessment of most common coping behaviors and perceived stress related to the clinical setting is essential due to difference in personalities, learning abilities, and coping behaviors among nursing students today. Previous research has suggested the initial clinical period results in adverse outcomes, such as poor academic performance, elevated burnout levels, and diminished personal well-being. These factors are detrimental to academic success in nursing programs. Evidence supports that helping students develop positive stress/coping abilities will aid in adapting in both the academic …


Organizational Methods Of Reducing Burnout: The Impact Of Self-Rostering On Work-Life-Integration, Cory Authement Dec 2023

Organizational Methods Of Reducing Burnout: The Impact Of Self-Rostering On Work-Life-Integration, Cory Authement

MSN Capstone Projects

With burnout being at an all-time high, organizations must find new ways to prioritize staff wellbeing and promote work-life balance. According to the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) turnover in emergency departments ranges from 15-30% within the first year of nursing, and 43% within the first three years (Roncallo et al., 2020). These turnover rates cost a 300-bed facility approximately four million dollars in annual expenditure (Hesse, 2016). This level of loss and expenditure is unsustainable for the future of nursing and diverts resources away from our patients.

In recent studies, it was shown that burnout leads to difficulties for nurses …


Implementation Of Coping Strategies For Compassion Fatigue Through Counseling, Caleb R. Turner Dec 2023

Implementation Of Coping Strategies For Compassion Fatigue Through Counseling, Caleb R. Turner

MSN Capstone Projects

Many healthcare organizations are struggling to retain nurses due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding common reasons for decreased retention in nursing begins with evaluating job satisfaction and how it can be affected (Cuartero-Castañer, 2021). Compassion Fatigue (CF) and Burnout (BO) are two leading causes of decreased job satisfaction (Compassion Satisfaction (CS)). The Professional Quality of Life Scale (PROQoL) (see Appendix C) is designed to identify individuals at higher risk of CF and BO. Using this scale in conjunction with the Peer-Support coaches in the hospital setting allows nurses to have conversations and communicate effectively with coaches trained to have …


Workplace Violence In Emergency Departments, Education And De-Escalation Training: A Benchmark Study, Summer Block Nov 2023

Workplace Violence In Emergency Departments, Education And De-Escalation Training: A Benchmark Study, Summer Block

MSN Capstone Projects

Most people do not go to work and fear being assaulted or harassed daily. However, for emergency nurses in this county that is exactly what it has come to. Up to 96% of emergency department nurses state they have been verbally abused. This entails name calling, verbal threats, being shouted at and being sworn at. Anywhere from 25% to 60% of these nurses have had to face physical assaults while on the job. (Al-Aadi, 2020; Copeland & Henry, 2017; Grinberg, 2022; Li et al., 2019; McDermid et al., 2019). Physical assaults can include being spit on, slapped, punched, kicked, choked, …


Unit-Based Onboarding Program For New Graduates On A Medical-Surgical Unit, Racquel A. Brewster Sep 2023

Unit-Based Onboarding Program For New Graduates On A Medical-Surgical Unit, Racquel A. Brewster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nurse turnover is prevalent among new graduate nurses. Many new graduate nurses feel unsupported by their peers, lack self-confidence, or feel overburdened due to the workload assigned to them. New graduate nurses with support systems are more likely to stay with an organization. Research suggests the creation of a supportive environment for new graduate nurses to help increase nurse retention in this demographic. A unit-based transition onboarding program was launched to create a supportive environment to help retain new graduate nurses on a medical-surgical unit. New graduate nurses with at least 1 to 3 years of experience completed a Likert-type …


Using Drama Therapy To Foster Peer Support Among Nurse Leaders, Chyela Rowe May 2023

Using Drama Therapy To Foster Peer Support Among Nurse Leaders, Chyela Rowe

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study explored the use of drama therapy to support the social-emotional experiences of nurse leaders at a mid-sized regional hospital system in the Southeastern United States. Nurse leaders have experienced profound changes to their work environments in recent years and burnout has been at an all-time high among healthcare workers globally. Organizational supports for nurses and nurse leaders are both inadequate to meet the needs and under-resourced. The research questions explored 1) whether the drama therapy peer support initiative improved outcomes and 2) whether there was a significant relationship between measures, and 3) what nurse leaders described as facilitators …


Peer-Supervision Of Nursing Professionals: A Shield Against Burnout, Kyle Gamache, Sarah Gamache, Joseph Robillard Apr 2023

Peer-Supervision Of Nursing Professionals: A Shield Against Burnout, Kyle Gamache, Sarah Gamache, Joseph Robillard

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Burnout is a major risk in healthcare professions and is a significant contributor to the current nursing shortage. Strategies to combat burnout of healthcare professionals are in desperate need. The purpose of this project is to introduce the clinical peer supervision model as a method to alleviate burnout in nursing professionals.

Approach: Eight nurses from in-patient settings participated in a peer-supervision support group, modeled after existing European nursing and mental health provider-support protocols. To assess the effect of this intervention, qualitative data analysis was conducted on the transcripts of session and the results described. All participants reported statistically high …


Examining The Impact Of De-Escalation Training Among Emergency Department Nurses, Jonathan Recchi, Jeffrey N. Doucette, Janice E. Hawkins Jan 2023

Examining The Impact Of De-Escalation Training Among Emergency Department Nurses, Jonathan Recchi, Jeffrey N. Doucette, Janice E. Hawkins

College of Health Sciences Posters

Workplace violence is a growing concern for US nurses, especially in the context of COVID-19 and patient incivility. De-escalation training can help mitigate high-risk incidents, but its psychological benefits are not well understood. This study aimed to determine if de-escalation training for emergency department nurses provided psychological benefit. This pre-experimental pre-test, post-test study evaluated nurse confidence in coping with patient aggression, caregiver resiliency, professional quality of life, and intention to stay with the organization. Participants completed a pretest survey, attended a two-hour verbal de-escalation training via zoom, and then completed the posttest survey. The study showed that attending the two-hour …


Reducing Burnout In Nursing: Implementation Of A Mindfulness-Based Intervention, Melanie Holland King, Katherine Newnam, Mandy Gay Dec 2022

Reducing Burnout In Nursing: Implementation Of A Mindfulness-Based Intervention, Melanie Holland King, Katherine Newnam, Mandy Gay

Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Objective: To decrease nursing burnout in a rural hospital setting. Background: Burnout increases the rate of turnover, lowers patient satisfaction scores, and increases costs. An estimated 15.6% of nurses are experiencing burnout at an annual cost of 9 billion dollars for hospitals. Local Problem: A rural hospital in Tennessee without a burnout reduction program available to staff. Methods: The Iowa Model Revised was utilized to implement a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Invention/Measurements: The Palouse mindfulness-based stress reduction program was utilized for this evidence-based practice project. The online course spans eight weeks and includes videos, reading materials, and worksheets. The program …


(Re) Evaluating Critical Care Nurse Support Program(S) In A Tertiary Care Hospital: Intersecting The Art And Science Of Nursing, C. Patricia Mazzotta Aug 2022

(Re) Evaluating Critical Care Nurse Support Program(S) In A Tertiary Care Hospital: Intersecting The Art And Science Of Nursing, C. Patricia Mazzotta

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

There is a growing critical care nurse staffing shortage with increases in nurse vacancy rates. Moral distress has been exacerbated by the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and, in particular, impacting critical care nurses. COVID-19 is a significant contributor to staffing shortages and continued nursing crisis. Thus, the impetus for the Problem of Practice (PoP): the lack of support to address the psychological, emotional, and spiritual distress suffered by critical care registered nurses in a tertiary care hospital in Central Ontario. To comprehend the realities of working in the intensive care units, leaders must first understand nurses’ lived experiences, narratives, and what …


Understanding Modern Drivers Of The Employee Experience In Healthcare, Antonio Pangallo, Tim Atwell, Kristi Roe, Adrienne Boissy Aug 2022

Understanding Modern Drivers Of The Employee Experience In Healthcare, Antonio Pangallo, Tim Atwell, Kristi Roe, Adrienne Boissy

Patient Experience Journal

Employee engagement has been considered the guiding metric to convey the health, loyalty, and performance of the healthcare workforce. However, the pandemic created new challenges and stimulated deeper conversations around remote work, systemic racism, inclusivity, trust, well-being, and mental illness, which calls into question whether engagement alone is enough. Using an employee experience model deployed in other industries, we identified key drivers of six employee experience (EX) outcomes. We conducted a panel study with close to 5,000 nurses and physicians to identify and prioritize current key drivers specific to the healthcare employee experience. Relative weights analyses suggest that being treated …


The Relationship Between Perceived Support And Post Traumatic Growth Among Nurses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anna Nieman May 2022

The Relationship Between Perceived Support And Post Traumatic Growth Among Nurses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anna Nieman

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Nurses continue to experience significant challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting them at risk of occupational stress, burnout, and turnover. The post-traumatic growth model focuses on growth and knowledge that comes from experiences of stress and trauma.

Aim: Identify post-traumatic growth (PTG) in a population of nurses affected by the COVID 19 pandemic.

Method: PTG was measured by the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, a 21-item questionnaire with five factors: relating to others, new possibilities, appreciation of life, personal strength, and spiritual change. Participants (n=22) responded on a 6-point Likert scale, 0 for no change and 5 for great degree …


Predictive Factors In Nurse Retention: The Association Of Authentic Leadership, Nurse Leader Caring Behaviors, And Burnout In Novice Nurse Retention, April M. Novotny Apr 2022

Predictive Factors In Nurse Retention: The Association Of Authentic Leadership, Nurse Leader Caring Behaviors, And Burnout In Novice Nurse Retention, April M. Novotny

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The demand for healthcare services in the United States is expected to dramatically increase in the coming decades. To meet the growing demand, a healthy workforce of nurses is necessary. In response to the identified problem of novice nurse retention, the researcher examined the concepts of authentic leadership, leadership caring behaviors, and burnout to determine the impact of these factors on intent to stay within an organization for novice nurses with less than 1 year of experience at a large community hospital. The study findings demonstrate a statistically significant correlation between the factors of authentic leadership, leader caring behaviors, burnout, …


Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction To Decrease Burnout In Emergency Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project At An Academic Medical Center, Desireé M. Mccue Apr 2022

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction To Decrease Burnout In Emergency Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project At An Academic Medical Center, Desireé M. Mccue

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing burnout, categorized by increased emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DE), or decreased personal achievement (PA), is rising in the United States. Emergency Department (ED) nurses at an academic medical center in the western United States experience burnout related to workplace violence and trauma exposure exacerbated by a global pandemic. Burnout can lead to adverse health impacts for nurses, increased institutional costs, and adverse patient outcomes.

Improving mindfulness or awareness of the present can reduce burnout in ED nurses. A mindfulness pilot project was conducted with staff nurses (n=20) and nurse leaders (n=4) in the ED. Participants attended Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction …


Communicating Comfort In Crisis: A Literature Review On Overcoming The Emergency Room Environment To Foster The Nurse-Patient Relationship, Faith G. Davenport Apr 2022

Communicating Comfort In Crisis: A Literature Review On Overcoming The Emergency Room Environment To Foster The Nurse-Patient Relationship, Faith G. Davenport

Senior Honors Theses

The average emergency room patient is not receiving the compassionate nurse-patient communication that patients experience on other hospital floors. Fewer positive nurse-patient interactions prompt patients to state that they feel uncomforted and dissatisfied on hospital exit surveys, inciting hospital management to investigate how to reverse this trend to retain their federal funding. Emergency room nurses cite multiple barriers inherent in their work environment that prevent them from building rapport with their patients, including a layout not conducive to private conversations, strict time constraints, and a fluctuating workload. Working for a prolonged period under these conditions is driving many nurses to …


Tackling Burnout: Investing In Nurse Managers To Secure The Future Of Nursing, Enhance Manager Effectiveness, And Support High Quality Patient Care, Corey French Jan 2022

Tackling Burnout: Investing In Nurse Managers To Secure The Future Of Nursing, Enhance Manager Effectiveness, And Support High Quality Patient Care, Corey French

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Burnout is a widespread, pervasive issue the healthcare industry. Many efforts related to burnout reduction have been focused on front line caregivers but there is continued opportunity to address burnout in leadership. The global aim of this quality improvement project was to reduce burnout among the nursing leadership team at a large, academic medical center in the greater Boston area.

Problem Description: A preliminary survey was completed to assess for the presence of burnout within the leadership team. Results revealed that more than half of the nurse leaders surveyed were experiencing burnout at least 50% of the time. This …


Professional Quality Of Life Indicators And Turnover Intention In Forensic Nurses, Leigh Anne Meyer May 2021

Professional Quality Of Life Indicators And Turnover Intention In Forensic Nurses, Leigh Anne Meyer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Background/Significance: Significant barriers to forensic nurse workforce development exist, affecting patient access to care. Retention of forensic nurses is a persistent problem. Turn-over of forensic nurses can be attributed to many factors related to professional quality of life, including compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress (STS).

Methods: A convenience sample of forensic nurse program coordinators was used to identify the effect of an educational session on professional quality of life and strategies for reducing stressors within the role on ProQOL-5 and TIS-6 scores using a pre- post-test quasi-experimental survey design. Correlation between professional quality of life indicators …


Nursing Fatigue In Intensive Care Units: A Clinical Inquiry, Elizabeth A. Gambill Apr 2021

Nursing Fatigue In Intensive Care Units: A Clinical Inquiry, Elizabeth A. Gambill

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Registered Nurses (RN) working in Intensive Care Units (ICU) report increased physical and emotional fatigue from a combination of various environmental factors. Fatigue is suspected as contributing to low retention rates of ICU RNs. A meeting was arranged with an ICU nursing director in an acute care facility in Northern Arkansas revealing the need for a clinical inquiry into the prevalence of fatigue. A review of literature further analyzed the impact of fatigue, management practices, safety culture in the workplace, the Occupational Fatigue/Exhaustion and Recovery (OFER) scale, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and the Moral Distress Scale- Revised (MDS-R). The …


Burnout And Fatigue: A Potential Downside Of The Critical Care Nursing Profession, Samantha L. Ford Dec 2020

Burnout And Fatigue: A Potential Downside Of The Critical Care Nursing Profession, Samantha L. Ford

MSN Capstone Projects

Studies show that burnout and fatigue increase healthcare cost and decreases organizational profit due to increased rates of employee turnover, decreased employee satisfaction, a decrease in the quality of care provided to patients, and the development of a toxic work environment. The three principal factors of job-related burnout and fatigue will be addressed within the context of this paper including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment.

Critical care nurses suffer from feeling emotionally depleted to the point they feel as though they can no longer give anymore of themselves to the patients they care for, which is a result of …


Effect Of A Self-Care And Self-Awareness Education Program On Resilience To Burnout And Depression In Clinically Experienced Nursing Students, Andrew Taylor Dec 2020

Effect Of A Self-Care And Self-Awareness Education Program On Resilience To Burnout And Depression In Clinically Experienced Nursing Students, Andrew Taylor

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose was to examine the effect of a self-care educational intervention on nursing student resilience and thus the potential for compassion fatigue, depersonalization, burnout, depression, and inadequate self-care. A one-group pretest-posttest research design was applied to a convenience sample of 104 nursing students near the end of their last semester in a baccalaureate nursing program. The measurements were demographics, a psychometric resilience scale, program evaluation, and reflection question. The intervention was a standardized, intensive 30 min training program on the high degree of stress and burnout nurses face and the core self-care methods that can promote resilience to these …


The Watson Room: Mitigating Compassion Fatigue In Oncology Nurses, Patricia A. Viscardi May 2020

The Watson Room: Mitigating Compassion Fatigue In Oncology Nurses, Patricia A. Viscardi

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

Aim: The aim of this project was to plan, develop, and implement “The Watson Room” or “Quiet Room” in an inpatient oncology nursing population and evaluate changes in Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL).

Background: Oncology Nurses are at high risk for compassion fatigue (CF), burn-out (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) related to the effects of living the traumas of oncology patients and their families through their cancer journey and the innate stress in a complex and intense workplace. High levels of compassion fatigue, burn-out, and secondary traumatic stress that are poorly managed reduces the nurse’s ability to self-regulate their …


Gratitude Journaling As Intervention To Combat Nurse Burnout In Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Nurses, Melinda Simpson Jan 2020

Gratitude Journaling As Intervention To Combat Nurse Burnout In Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Nurses, Melinda Simpson

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

As a practicing registered nurse in the intensive care setting, this researcher witnessed an episode of burnout characterized by a public meltdown, crying, and yelling. This sparked an interest in an intervention to combat nurse burnout. Literature was found on gratitude which has been found to increase resiliency. An increase in resiliency, in various populations, has been found to decrease perceived stress and feelings of burnout. This researcher investigated the use of gratitude journaling for 21 days as means to decrease perceived stress and feelings of burnout while increasing gratitude and resiliency. The PSS, GQ, BRS, & BBI tools were …


Burnout, Depression And Suicide Prevention For Nursing Staff In High-Intensity Settings, April Ritchie Dec 2019

Burnout, Depression And Suicide Prevention For Nursing Staff In High-Intensity Settings, April Ritchie

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Nurses working in high-intensity settings experience burnout at higher rates than in other nursing areas. Burnout in healthcare is a problem estimated as high as 70% by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Burnout can lead to depressive symptoms, which can lead to suicidal ideation in affected healthcare providers, which makes early identification and treatment of utmost importance to the mental and physical wellbeing of these nurses.

The purpose of this project is to examine burnout in nursing staff working in high-intensity areas of the hospital in order to help identify burnout and/or depressive symptoms before they lead to …


The Effectiveness Of A Robotic Seal On Compassion Satisfaction In Acute Care Nurses: A Mixed Methods Approach, Jo S. Henson Sep 2019

The Effectiveness Of A Robotic Seal On Compassion Satisfaction In Acute Care Nurses: A Mixed Methods Approach, Jo S. Henson

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Problem: Nurses face a variety of stressors that can result in decreased levels of compassion satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a computerized interactive social assist robot (PARO) to decrease stressors and increase compassion levels of acute care nurses in an inpatient setting.

Theory: The Professional Quality of Life Model posits that low Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress leads to Compassion Fatigue.

Hypotheses: It was hypothesized that interaction with a social assist robot with artificial intelligence will result in decreasing levels of stress therefore increasing levels of compassion satisfaction in nurses working …


Nurse Managers: An Association Between Empowerment And Burnout, Sonja Lynn Avery Apr 2019

Nurse Managers: An Association Between Empowerment And Burnout, Sonja Lynn Avery

Doctoral Projects

The purpose of the study is to ascertain the presence of an inverse relationship between nurse managers’ feelings of structural empowerment and self-perception of burnout. Although research is available studying the effects of staff nurse empowerment and burnout, literature is sparse relative to evaluation of nurse manager empowerment and burnout. Of the studies available, there is supportive evidence pertaining to the negative implications associated with nurse manager burnout such as reduced staff nurse retention and morale, decrease in quality of patient care, and financial impact on organizational success. With such negative implications associated with a lack of empowerment and burnout, …


Defining A Person: The Nurse At Risk For Compassion Fatigue, Ellen Johnston Jan 2017

Defining A Person: The Nurse At Risk For Compassion Fatigue, Ellen Johnston

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis was to examine compassion fatigue in nurses through analysis of research studies conducted within the past five years in an effort to identify predisposing factors to the experience of compassion fatigue. Individual and institutional factors were identified as well as current strategies to assist with management of compassion fatigue. Findings indicated that being new to practice, having a trait negative affect, being younger in age, having a history of exposure to trauma and working in high emotionally stressful units predisposed individuals to the experience of compassion fatigue. Institutional factors included a lack of managerial support, …


Implementation Of A Nursing Workload Tool To Reduce Nurse Burnout, Nicole K. Greives Apr 2016

Implementation Of A Nursing Workload Tool To Reduce Nurse Burnout, Nicole K. Greives

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Nursing burnout and workload is a complicated issue with far-reaching effects. Nursing burnout and inappropriate nursing workload have been linked to increased risk of urinary tract infection, respiratory infections, decreased patient satisfaction, decreased quality and safety of care, and increased mortality. The purpose of the project was to decrease nursing burnout on a Medical Progressive Care Unit (MPCU) by moving patients with high workloads and medical instability to a higher level of care. Within this project, Rosabeth Kanter’s Theory of Structural Power was used for the theoretical framework, and the Stetler Model guided the implementation. The intervention consisted of a …


The Impact Of An 8-Hour Versus 12-Hour Shift For Registered Nurses: An Integrative Review, Jenna Classen, Shannon Davis, Emily Sutter Apr 2016

The Impact Of An 8-Hour Versus 12-Hour Shift For Registered Nurses: An Integrative Review, Jenna Classen, Shannon Davis, Emily Sutter

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

More hospitals are eliminating the traditional 8 hour shift and replacing it with the 12 hour shift. The aim of this study was to review literature about the effects of shift length on nurses and patients. Cedarville University's OneSearch was used to collect the 12 articles reviewed. Some studies indicated nurses working 12 hour shifts were at a greater risk of experiencing burnout compared to nurses working 8 hour shifts. Nurses working 12 hour shifts were more likely to experience chronic fatigue related to inadequate amounts of sleep. Furthermore, when a nurse’s shift exceeded 13 hours, patients became more dissatisfied …


Flight Nurses’ Narratives Of Traumatic Patient Care Events: Why Do They Stay?, Joanne Booth Newton Jan 2016

Flight Nurses’ Narratives Of Traumatic Patient Care Events: Why Do They Stay?, Joanne Booth Newton

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

As frontline providers of care, flight nurses are continuously exposed to traumatic patient care events; they are, accordingly, highly vulnerable to the injurious effects of compassion fatigue. Flight nursing is an exclusive nursing specialty in which highly trained registered nurses provide comprehensive pre-hospital, emergency, and critical care to patients with urgent or life-threatening conditions aboard helicopter or fixed wing aircraft or, when necessary due to unfavorable weather conditions, by ground ambulance. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of five flight nurses; to better understand the factors they perceived to be contributors or barriers to compassion …