A pilot study exploring the relationship between self-compassion, self-judgement, self-kindness, compassion, professional quality of life and wellbeing among UK community nurses

Self-compassion and psychological well-being of radiographers at work

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess how self-compassion affects the psychological well-being of radiographers at work.

METHODS

An online survey was sent to radiology and radiotherapy departments in Rhône-Alpes, a region of France (from October 2021 to February 2022). The study is mixed: quantitative data, with closed questions and two validated scales, and qualitative data, with open questions aimed at assessing perceptions among radiologists as regards self-compassion.

RESULTS

A total of 253 radiographers (mean age 32.9 years), took part in this survey. Radiographers reported a poor level of well-being and a moderate level of self-compassion. We found a link between well-being at work and self-compassion. Gender, age, number of years of experience and the desire to receive training on well-being appear to have an impact on the level of self-compassion. The perception of self-compassion by radiologists is essentially positive.

CONCLUSION

Particular attention should be paid to radiologists who are female, young, and with only a few years of experience. Self-compassion is a protective factor for radiologists and may help them take care of themselves to continue caring for others. Training related to self-compassion should be promoted in medical imaging departments.

Exploring the Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Compassion for Others: The Role of Psychological Distress and Wellbeing

We addressed construct validity and explored the relationship between self-compassion and compassion for others using the two main current operationalizations of compassion (Neff's and the Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scales, SOCSs). Relationships with psychological distress and wellbeing, and potential differences in the association between self-compassion and compassion for others by level of psychological distress and wellbeing were also explored. Participants (n = 811) completed the Spanish adaptations of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), the Compassion Scale (CS), the SOCSs (for the self/others), the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). We fitted bifactor models to estimate the general factor of each construct for the different operationalizations, and calculated correlations between them. Relationships between self-compassion and compassion for others from the same operationalization were intermediate, while those between the same constructs from different operationalizations were large. Both constructs showed positive associations with wellbeing, while only self-compassion was associated with decreased psychological distress. Participants with good mental health showed higher associations between self-compassion and compassion for others than those with poorer mental health. Self-compassion and compassion for others appear to be dimensional constructs that can converge or diverge. When they converge, it is associated with better mental health.

Cultivating Self-Compassion to Protect Nurses From Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress

Nursing burnout, a result of prolonged occupational stress, has always been a challenge in health care, but recently the COVID-19 pandemic made this issue into a national priority. In fact, burnout among health care workers is one of the four priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General. Health care leaders and organizations are eager to implement strategies to improve nurses' well-being and, thus, enhance their mental health. Much of the literature has focused on the antecedents and consequences of nursing burnout, but there is limited information on strategies that protect perinatal nurses from burnout. Self-compassion is emerging as one strategy that has a positive correlation with nurse well-being and a negative association with burnout, depression, and anxiety. In this article, we identify and translate strategies to promote self-compassion in perinatal nurses.

Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the burnout syndrome assessment scale in nurses

Objective

This study aimed to translate the Burnout Syndrome Assessment Scale (BOSAS) into Chinese and validate its reliability and validity among Chinese emergency department and ICU nurses.

Methods

The scale was translated into Chinese using Brislin's translation principle. A total of 626 nurses from Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces in China participated in an online questionnaire survey. The survey included the general information questionnaire for nurses developed by the research team and the Chinese version of the Burnout Syndrome Assessment Scale. Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the scale were analyzed using SPSS.25 and AMOS.24 software.

Results

The Chinese version of the Burnout Syndrome Assessment Scale consists of a total of 20 items, encompassing two dimensions: personal burnout and job burnout. This structure is consistent with the original English version of the scale. The Chinese version of BOSAS demonstrated high internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.941. Additionally, the scale exhibited good split-half reliability (0.765) and test-retest reliability (0.871). The content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.971, indicating strong content validity. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the same 2-factor structure as the original scale, and confirmatory factor analysis further validated this structure, with all fit indices indicating appropriateness.

Conclusion

The Burnout Syndrome Assessment Scale has been successfully introduced and its reliability and validity have been verified in Chinese emergency department and ICU nurses.

Factor Affecting the Quality of Work Life Among Nurses: A Systematic Review

Objective

This literature review evaluates the factors that affect nurses' quality of work life with the goal of enhancing their overall well-being, work experience, and creating a more supportive and satisfying work environment in the nursing field.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Electronic databases including Scopus, PubMed, SAGE Journal, and Springer were searched for scientific articles on the quality of work life among nurses. After screening and removal of duplicates, we analyzed the full text of the articles to identify potentially relevant studies for eligibility, and then we extracted data from the articles that matched.

Results

The search of the literature resulted in 68 articles. Only 20 articles that met all inclusion criteria were included in the systematic review after full text review.

Conclusion

The literature indicates that nurses' work life quality is affected by three primary factors: personal (socio-demographic), occupational, and psychological. Identifying the factors is critical to finding the right solution for improving work life quality and overcoming factors that decrease nurses' work life quality.

The Prevalence and Predictors of Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress in Registered Nurses in an Eastern Canadian Province: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The quality of Registered Nurses' worklife is impacting nurses' mental health, and the standard of care received by clients. Contributing factors to nurses' stress are the trauma of continuous caring for those in great suffering, and adverse working conditions.

OBJECTIVES

i) to explore the prevalence of work-related stress in a provincial sample of Registered Nurses; ii) to compare the levels of compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress reported by nurses in hospital, community, non-direct care settings, and, iii) to identify factors that predict levels of nursing work stress.

METHODS

A descriptive, predictive study with a self-report survey containing demographic questions and the Professional Quality of Life Scale was emailed to over 3,300 Registered Nurses. The scale measured the prevalence of three worklife indicators, compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Multiple linear regression identified factors that predicted the levels of the three indicators. A subgroup analysis explored the quality of worklife based on three practice environments.

FINDINGS

Nurses (n  =  661) reported moderate compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. The strongest predictor, satisfaction with one's current job, predicted high compassion satisfaction and lower burnout and secondary stress. The subgroup analysis identified hospital nurses as having the most work-related stress and the lowest level of compassion satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

Innovative, collaborative action can transform nurses' practice environments. Organizational support is essential to bring about needed improvements.

A Correlational Study Of Midwives' Self-Compassion, Psychosocial Health, and Well-Being During the First Wave of COVID-19: What Have We Learned?

INTRODUCTION

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, midwives worked in a threatening environment and worried about themselves and their families becoming infected. Self-compassion is defined as an attitude of self-kindness that is supported by a balanced attitude toward negative thoughts or feelings and may contribute to the psychosocial health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to describe midwives' self-compassion, psychosocial health, and well-being and the correlation between them.

METHODS

This was a descriptive correlational study using a survey administered online during May, 2020. Participants included midwives who worked in labor and delivery units across Israel during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures included a demographic questionnaire; the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF), which has 12 items in 6 subscales; and the psychosocial health and well-being questionnaire, a short version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, which has 24 items in 6 subscales.

RESULTS

Participants (N = 144) reported a moderate-high level of self-compassion with a mean (SD) SCS-SF score of 3.57 (0.69). The mean (SD) psychosocial well-being score was 30.72 (13.57). The burnout subscale score had the highest mean (46.27), representing a high level of burnout. A minority (11.3%) of midwives considered resigning their midwifery positions. A higher level of self-compassion correlated with better psychosocial well-being (r = -0.466; P < .001). The highest correlation was found between the SCS-SF and the psychosocial health and well-being subscale for depressive symptoms (r = -0.574; P < .001).

DISCUSSION

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, midwives had a moderate-high grade of self-compassion and good psychosocial well-being. Midwives with higher self-compassion had better psychosocial well-being. The findings could inform the development of programs to increase midwives' self-compassion, and psychosocial well-being and the quality of midwifery care, in times of stability and during future pandemics or disasters.

Self-Compassion Interventions to Target Secondary Traumatic Stress in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review

Healthcare professionals' wellbeing can be adversely affected by the intense demands of, and the secondary traumatic stress associated with, their job. Self-compassion is associated with positive wellbeing outcomes across a variety of workforce populations and is potentially an important skill for healthcare workers, as it offers a way of meeting one's own distress with kindness and understanding. This systematic review aimed to synthesise and evaluate the utility of self-compassion interventions in reducing secondary traumatic stress in a healthcare worker population. Eligible articles were identified from research databases, including ProQuest, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and EBSCO. The quality of non-randomised and randomised trials was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The literature search yielded 234 titles, from which 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. Four studies reported promising effects of self-compassion training for secondary traumatic stress in a healthcare population, although these did not use controls. The methodological quality of these studies was medium. This highlights a research gap in this area. Three of these four studies recruited workers from Western countries and one recruited from a non-Western country. The Professional Quality of Life Scale was used to evaluate secondary traumatic stress in all studies. The findings show preliminary evidence that self-compassion training may improve secondary traumatic stress in healthcare professional populations; however, there is a need for greater methodological quality in this field and controlled trials. The findings also show that the majority of research was conducted in Western countries. Future research should focus on a broader range of geographical locations to include non-Western countries.

Becoming an inner ally: the compassionate minds approach to self-compassion - an online programme

A rapidly growing body of evidence indicates the enormous psychological burden of working in health care on nurses and other health professionals that is resulting in high levels of psychological problems. These will have profound effects on individuals and long-term ramifications for healthcare systems. Effective interventions that can counter the adverse psychological effects of caring during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond are urgently required. With this in mind, the authors have created an online self-compassion programme to advance the health and wellbeing of the nursing workforce through developing proactive evidence-based preventive teaching and learning strategies to promote compassion satisfaction and prevent compassion fatigue by improving self-compassion. The online programme is underpinned by compassionate minds theories and research.

The relationship between physicians' self-kindness and professional fulfillment and the mediating role of personal resilience and work-home interference: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Professional fulfillment is crucial for physicians' well-being and optimal patient care. Highly demanding work environments, perfectionism and self-critical attitudes jeopardize physicians' professional fulfillment.

OBJECTIVE

To explore to what extent a kinder attitude towards the self, i.e. self-kindness, was associated with physicians' professional fulfillment and whether this relationship was mediated by personal resilience and work-home interference.

METHODS

In 2020, cardiologists (n = 374) in the Netherlands participated in a web-based survey. Self-kindness was measured by the self-kindness subscale of the Self-Compassion Scale, personal resilience by the Brief Resilience Scale, work-home interference by the negative Work-Home Interference subscale of the Survey Work-Home Interaction-Nijmegen, and professional fulfillment by the corresponding subscale of the Professional Fulfillment Index. Using Hayes' SPSS macro PROCESS v3.5, the authors tested the parallel mediation model.

RESULTS

Self-kindness was not directly associated with professional fulfillment (direct effect = .042, p = .36, 95% CI: -0.048, 0.132). Self-kindness was indirectly related to professional fulfillment through individual resilience (indirect effect = .049, 95% CI: .020, 0.086) and work-home interference (indirect effect = .057, 95% CI: .023, 096).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that improving physicians' self-kindness may enhance professional fulfillment through personal resilience and work-home interference. Our findings may stimulate and remind physicians to be kind towards themselves as it may benefit them and their patients.

The measurement of compassionate leadership: Adaptation and Spanish validation of the compassionate leadership self-reported scale

BACKGROUND

A culture of shared leadership is widespread among palliative care teams based on a commitment to valuing and including all people equally. As compassion is a core value for end-of-life care work, compassionate leadership may be the best way to lead in palliative care.

AIMS

The aims of this study were twofold: (1) to adapt and validate the Compassionate Leadership Self-reported Scale in a sample of palliative care professionals; and (2) to study the relation between compassionate leadership and associated concepts of self-compassion, awareness and self-care.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 296 Spanish end-of-life care professionals was conducted. Analyses included descriptive statistics, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with four-correlated factors, reliability estimates and a structural model.

RESULTS

Results suggested there were medium to high levels of compassionate leadership in the sample. The CFA showed an adequate overall fit: χ² (98) = 277.595 (p < 0.001); CFI = 0.986; SRMR = 0.047; RMSEA = 0.088 [0.076, 0.100]. Reliability estimates for four subscales of compassionate leadership (attending, understanding, empathising and helping) were also adequate, ranging from 0.72 to 0.96. Finally, the structural model predicting compassionate leadership suggested that the dimensions of attending and understanding were most highly related to positive self-compassion and awareness; empathising, to self-care and awareness; and helping, to positive self-compassion and self-care.

CONCLUSION

The Compassionate Leadership Scale has adequate psychometric properties when used to assess compassionate leadership in the context of end-of-life care. Our results indicate that self-compassion, awareness and self-care are important correlates of such compassionate leadership.

Work-family conflict and the professional quality of life and their sociodemographic characteristics among nurses: a cross-sectional study in Tehran, Iran

Background

Nurses are exposed to work-family conflict (WFC) due to specific occupational conditions, such as exposure to patients and shift work, which can affect the professional quality of life (ProQoL). The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between different levels of work-family conflicts and professional quality of life and their sociodemographic characteristics among the nurses in two hospitals in Tehran, Iran.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 234 nurses from two hospitals. Data were collected using a three-part questionnaire, including items related to nurses’ demographic characteristics, the WFC questionnaire, and the ProQoL questionnaire.

Results

There was a significant positive correlation between conflict in terms of time and behavior with compassion satisfaction and between the three types of conflict with job burnout (p < 0.05). The results indicate that the WFC and ProQoL scores and the mean WFC were higher among women, people who had a disabled family member, and nurses who worked equal to or more than 175 hours a month. Regarding the dimensions of ProQoL, the mean compassion satisfaction was lower among people who lived with their parents, people who had a second job had a child younger than one-year-old, and a disabled family member had higher means of job burnout. Also, those who had younger children experienced less PTSD. Furthermore, the mean of WFC and burnout among single nurses was significantly lower than among married and divorced/widowed nurses. Additionally, the mean of WFC and burnout among nurses living in rental houses and nurses reporting the level of satisfying relationships with co-workers as ‘bad’ were significantly more than for other nurses.

Conclusion

Stable mental and emotional conditions are of great importance for nurses to provide safe and quality services to their patients. The results also revealed that nurses’ compassion satisfaction and job burnout were associated with different types of conflict. The WFC of nurses is related to their ProQoL and affects their job satisfaction and burnout. Reducing conflict may improve the nurses’ satisfaction and thus improve patient care and healthcare services.

"Compassion is the mainstay of nursing care": A qualitative study on the perception of care and compassion in senior nursing students

PURPOSE

To describe nursing students' perceptions of care and compassion in the context of the clinical environment.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This phenomenological study data were collected by focus groups and Giorgi et al. stages used in the data analysis.

FINDINGS

Sixteen students participated in this study. Four themes and 12 subthemes were determined. The themes were "Discovering the existence of care and facing up to care", "advancing on the road to becoming a nurse: from theory to practice," "compassionate care, beyond medical care," and "the effect of nursing education on professional compassion."

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study showed that nursing students grew by giving care and knowledge. In addition, compassionate care is gained by real-life stories and a supportive environment.

Wellbeing and coping of UK nurses, midwives and allied health professionals during COVID-19-a cross-sectional study

Nurse, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), along with other health and social care colleagues are the backbone of healthcare services. They have played a key role in responding to the increased demands on healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper compares cross-sectional data on quality of working life, wellbeing, coping and burnout of nurses, midwives and AHPs in the United Kingdom (UK) at two time points during the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous online repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted at two timepoints, Phase 1 (7^th May 2020-3^rd July 2020); Phase 2 (17^th November 2020-1^st February 2021). The survey consisted of the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, the Work-Related Quality of Life Scale, and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (Phase 2 only) to measure wellbeing, quality of working life and burnout. The Brief COPE scale and Strategies for Coping with Work and Family Stressors scale assessed coping strategies. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions examined the effects of coping strategies and demographic and work-related variables on wellbeing and quality of working life. A total of 1839 nurses, midwives and AHPs responded to the first or second survey, with a final sample of 1410 respondents -586 from Phase 1; 824 from Phase 2, (422 nurses, 192 midwives and 796 AHPs). Wellbeing and quality of working life scores were significantly lower in the Phase 2 sample compared to respondents in Phase 1 (p<0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on psychological wellbeing and quality of working life which decreased while the use of negative coping and burnout of these healthcare professionals increased. Health services are now trying to respond to the needs of patients with COVID-19 variants while rebuilding services and tackling the backlog of normal care provision. This workforce would benefit from additional support/services to prevent further deterioration in mental health and wellbeing and optimise workforce retention.

Disaster nursing competencies of rural nurses during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study: Disaster nursing competencies

Background

Although rural nurses’ roles are indispensable in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) management, increased roles, workload, burnout, and reduced job satisfaction can hinder their work, potentially affecting nurses’ disaster nursing competencies.

Aim

The aim of the study was to identify the predictors of rural nurses’ disaster nursing competencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Nurses from rural community hospitals in South Korea (N=204) were surveyed during June–July 2021. We used the Professional Quality of Life and Disaster Nursing Preparedness-Response Competencies questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of disaster nursing competencies.

Findings

The mean score for disaster nursing competency of the 204 participants was 110.80 (standard deviation=19.14). Disaster nursing competencies correlated with age, nursing career, compassion satisfaction, and secondary traumatic stress. Compassion satisfaction (β=.27, P=.004), prior disaster nursing education (β=.19, P=.005), and prior participation in disaster nursing care (β=.16, P=.022) predicted disaster nursing competencies, together accounting for 24.2% of the variance.

Discussion

Our findings imply that increasing opportunities for continuing education regarding disaster nursing is crucial to enhance the related competencies in rural nurses. This study also highlights the necessity for stakeholders to develop programs aimed at increasing rural nurses’ compassion satisfaction.

Conclusion

Prior disaster nursing education, prior participation in disaster nursing care, and compassion satisfaction predicted disaster nursing competencies among rural nurses, with compassion satisfaction being the strongest predictor.

Use of Mobile Apps and Online Programs of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Training in Workers: A Scoping Review

Mindfulness and self-compassion interventions are two strategies helpful in preventing and reducing burnout and work stress. However, professionals with overburdened schedules can experience obstacles in learning and practicing these interventions, originally taught with lengthy programs. The use of digital technologies could make these interventions more accessible to workers, as studied in a recent, growing body of evidence. The evidence available is diverse in terms of interventions, designs, outcomes, and populations. This calls for a review that can take into consideration this diversity while still rigorously synthesize it. Scoping reviews are designed to examine emerging evidence and summarize the evidence on a specific topic of interest. The present scoping review aims to assess the current state of the literature on the use of online programs and mobile applications of self-compassion, mindfulness, and meditation (digital mindfulness-based interventions; dMBIs) by workers. More specifically, information on the type of intervention, population, advantages, and disadvantages, measured outcomes, and advice for future research are gathered. MEDLINE (PubMed; Ovid), PsychInfo (Ovid), and Web of Science (Clarivate) were searched to identify all relevant articles. The screening process resulted in 56 articles being included in this scoping review. Inclusion criteria were (1) participants are workers; (2) the intervention is individual, digital, and mindfulness/self-compassion/meditation-based; and (3) articles were available in French or English language at the time of the review. Interventions used were mostly mindfulness-based, equally categorized under web-based and app-based interventions. Most interventions included information on mindfulness, meditation or self-compassion, meditation exercises, other types of exercises, instructions on how to use, and reminders. dMBIs are often studied in the healthcare population and predominantly in female samples. Although dMBIs present advantages (low cost, accessibility, practicality, feasibility), obstacles can arise in their implementation (low engagement and motivation, concerns about confidentiality). Included articles measured outcomes related to work, mindfulness or self-compassion, and other psychological variables (stress/anxiety, depression, resilience, wellbeing). Articles provided important directions to further research on dMBIs regarding methodological aspects, modality and intervention, and individual and organizational questions. dMBIs are becoming more popular and interventions are diverse. Although not without limitations, this scoping provided a synthesis on different aspects of the use of dMBIs within workers and highlighted pertinent future research directions.

Prevalence of compassion fatigue among helping professions and relationship to compassion for others, self-compassion and self-criticism

INTRODUCTION

Helping professionals are at high risk of being affected by the negative aspects of helping such as compassion fatigue. To date, no study has provided a comprehensive overview of compassion fatigue and compared the prevalence among different helping professions.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and differences in compassion fatigue among different helping professions. We also wanted to explore the relationship between compassion, self-compassion, self-criticism and compassion fatigue.

METHODS

Six hundred and seven participants working in the helping professions were recruited. The sample consisted of 102 nurses, 44 doctors, 57 paramedics, 39 home nurses, 66 teachers, 103 psychologists, 40 psychotherapists and coaches, 76 social workers, 39 priests and pastors and 41 police officers. The data were collected using an online questionnaire battery measuring levels of compassion, self-compassion, self-criticism, compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction.

RESULTS

We found significant differences in compassion fatigue levels among various helping professions. No large differences were found in the compassion and self-compassion levels exhibited by professionals with medium versus low compassion fatigue scores. However, participants with higher levels of compassion fatigue scored higher in self-criticism. Self-criticism was found to be the best predictor of compassion fatigue. The effect of profession on compassion fatigue as mediated by self-criticism and self-compassion was significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results, we recommend designing programs to combat compassion fatigue that teach helping professionals to better manage their work time and workload (hours per week with clients/patients) and learn healthier inner talk (less self-critical and more self-compassionate).

Understanding and measuring the work-related quality of life among those working in adult social care: A scoping review

The main aim of this scoping review was to understand how work-related quality of life (WRQoL) in adult social care has been defined and measured in the literature and to map key components of WRQoL among those working in adult social care and similar contexts. The scoping review included studies that: 1- focused on WRQoL/work-related wellbeing (and their synonyms); and 2- included adult social care or community health care. We searched existing evidence from November 2019 until July 2020 through an electronic literature search of eight major databases complemented by the grey literature, searching the reference lists and by contacting our existing network of experts in the field. In addition, we repeated the searches to identify any relevant literature published in 2021. Reporting followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. In total, we included 68 publications. These publications indicate that there is an absence of agreement on a definition and measurement of WRQoL in adult social care. Based on a thematic analysis we identified six key components of WRQoL: organisational characteristics; job characteristics; mental wellbeing and health; physical wellbeing and health; spill-over from work to home; and professional identity. In summary, at the moment, there is no agreement on what WRQoL is and how to measure it in adult social care. As a result, there is very limited evidence on how to improve WRQoL among people working in adult social care. However, this scoping review suggests that there are six key components of WRQoL that researchers may consider to include in their future studies.

The Spanish Version of the State Self-Compassion Scale-Long Form (SSCS-L): A Study of Its Validity and Reliability in a Sample of Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

In nurses, self-compassion mitigates the effects of stress, burnout and compassion fatigue, and enhances empathy, compassion and well-being and quality of life. The Self-Compassion Scale is the most-used instrument. The aim of this study is to validate the Spanish version of the new developed State Self-Compassion Scale-Long (SSCS-L).

METHODS

Students of the first year of the Nursing Degree were surveyed online. Together with the SSCS-L, their levels of positive and negative affect was reported. Analyses included descriptive statistics, competitive confirmatory factor analysis, evidence on criterion-related validity and estimates of reliability.

RESULTS

The best fitting model for the SSCS-L was the one hypothesizing six-correlated factors of self-compassion: self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness, self-judgement, isolation, and over-identification. Positive relations between the positive dimensions of self-compassion and positive affect were found, whereas there were negative relations between the positive poles of self-compassion and negative affect. Estimates of reliability were adequate, except for the dimension of over-identification.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-compassion has become a key competency for nurses. The SSCS-L is an appropriate tool to allow an adequate assessment of self-compassion in experimental contexts.

Self-compassion, coping strategies and gender differences in psychology, counselling and psychotherapy practitioners during COVID-19: Lessons learnt

Effective coping strategies can protect against the adverse effects of stress. This study investigated self-compassion's ability to predict approach and avoidance coping in psychology, counselling and psychotherapy practitioners (PCPPs) during COVID-19, and whether this differed between genders. To date, no research has investigated this relationship, despite positive associations being drawn in other populations. Three hundred and nineteen PCPPs completed an online survey including the Brief COPE and Self-Compassion Short Form. Self-compassion significantly predicted greater use of approach coping and reduced use of avoidance coping. The predictive ability of self-compassion was slightly better in female practitioners. Self-judgement arose as a prominent subscale of self-compassion across genders, increasing both approach and avoidance coping. Implications for future research and practice are discussed, concerning barriers to self-compassion and the requirement of therapeutic programmes and psychoeducation as a prerequisite for effective coping strategies in the PCPP population.

Person-centred care among intensive care unit nurses: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Practising person-centred care is crucial for nurses in the intensive care unit, as patients have high physical and psychological care needs. We aimed to identify the predictors of person-centred care among nurses working in intensive care settings.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 188 intensive care unit nurses at four tertiary hospitals in two cities of South Korea were included. They completed self-reported questionnaires on emotional intelligence, compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and person-centred care. Emotional intelligence was measured using the Korean version of the Wong and Law's emotional intelligence scale. Compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout were measured by the Professional Quality of Life questionnaire (version 5). Person-centred care was measured using the person-centred critical care nursing scale.

RESULTS

Multiple regression identified compassion satisfaction (β = 0.49, p <.001) as the most powerful predictor of person-centred care, followed by emotional intelligence (β = 0.21, p =.004) and intensive care unit career length (β = 0.17, p =.021). These three variables accounted for 31.0 % of the variance in person-centred care.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of career length, emotional intelligence, and compassion satisfaction in the promotion of person-centred care among intensive care unit nurses. Nursing management should contemplate specific measures to reduce turnover among experienced intensive care unit nurses and to enhance the factors that promote person-centred care, such as compassion satisfaction and emotional intelligence.

Compassionate Practices for Nurse Managers in Colombia

Objective: To recognize compassionate practices and the obstacles to their use by nurse managers in Colombia. Method: This is a mixed cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory, international study with an online survey administered in 17 countries. Data were extracted from Colombia with a sample of 69 nurse managers. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were processed using the Nvivo software and thematic analysis. Results: 90 % women, mainly from a hospital setting (40 %). Compassionate practices in administrative nursing involve four categories: Listening; supporting and recognizing staff individuality; defining compassion practices, needs, and benefits; receiving compassion and complementary views of compassion and administration where the influence of cultural and organizational patterns become obstacles to compassion. Conclusion: For nursing, compassion demonstrates the intentional ability to recognize the singularity of someone else’s suffering, understand their needs, offer support, and find solutions based on an understanding of what being human means. These aspects require significant changes at the organizational and health legislation levels to mitigate the obstacles to compassion.

The role of individual personality in conceptualizing and measuring group characteristics

In previous research, group characteristics have often been measured without taking the individual perspective of the group members into account. Therefore, the influence of individual personality (and other individual-level characteristics) on group characteristic ratings beyond the influence of the actual group remains largely unexplored. Additionally, some studies use group means of individual personality as group characteristics, however, evidence for interrelations or differences between these approaches has not yet been empirically based. In the present study, we employed a sample of 301 individuals from 54 teams, all of which rated both characteristics of themselves and their teams. By averaging both self-ratings and group-ratings within each team, we were able to compare both approaches to group characteristics and found them to likely measure unrelated constructs. We also found influences of individual Extraversion and Agreeableness from the HEXACO model on direct group characteristic ratings beyond the influence of the actual group. Years of work experience and work strain operationalized through burnout symptoms did not predict group characteristic ratings beyond the influence of the actual group and individual personality. Our findings imply that individual ratings of a group characteristic are influenced to a larger degree by the raters’ individual perspectives than by the presumed actual group characteristic itself. Further implications for research applying individual personality to groups are discussed.

Mindful Caring: A pilot study of an online mindfulness workshop for medical students to improve self-compassion

Background: This study examines the effectiveness of a pilot Mindful Caring workshop in improving self-compassion, mindfulness, and empathy, while reducing stress. Methods: Year 3 and 4 medical students from the National University of Singapore underwent 16 hours of online workshops over 4 days with didactic and experiential learning activities on self-compassion and mindfulness. Primary outcomes of self-compassion were measured with the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Secondary outcomes include mindfulness measured with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-15 (FFMQ-15), empathy and stress levels. Qualitative comments were also sought in the feedback.  Results: Out of 21 participants, 90.5% (n =19) completed both pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. Participants experienced significant mean improvements in self-compassion (p<0.05) and mindfulness (p<0.05), while improvements in empathy and stress levels did not reach statistical significance.  Conclusions: A short online Mindful Caring workshop could be an avenue to improve self-compassion and mindfulness, which may have a downstream effect on burnout.

Mindful Caring: A pilot study of an online mindfulness workshop for medical students to improve self-compassion

Background: This study examines the effectiveness of a pilot Mindful Caring workshop in improving self-compassion, mindfulness, and empathy, while reducing stress.   Methods: Clinical-year medical students from the National University of Singapore underwent 16 hours of online workshops over 4 days with didactic and experiential teachings on self-compassion and mindfulness. Primary outcomes of self-compassion and mindfulness were measured with the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-15 (FFMQ-15) respectively. Secondary outcomes measured included empathy and stress levels. Qualitative feedback was also sought.  Results:   Primary outcomes included improvements in self-compassion and mindfulness. Out of 21 participants, 19 (90.5%) completed both pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. Participants experienced significant mean improvements in self-compassion (p<0.05) and mindfulness (p<0.05), while improvements in empathy and stress levels did not reach statistical significance.  Conclusions: A short online Mindful Caring workshop could be an avenue to improve self-compassion and mindfulness, which may have a downstream effect on burnout.

Finding Meaning in Medicine: Pediatric Residents' Perspectives on Humanism

OBJECTIVES

To explore pediatric residents' perspectives on humanism and how residency impacts humanism formation.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative study with pediatric resident focus groups at Stanford. Transcripts were analyzed by two investigators using grounded theory. Subsequent literature review led us to adapt Cruess et al. 2015's professional identity formation framework to describe development of a humanism identity in residency. Member check was done to verify themes and the adapted framework.

RESULTS

Thirty two pediatric residents participated. Five themes emerged: 1) Empathy, compassion, and respect are foundational elements of humanism. 2) Each resident had a unique view of humanism derived from personal values. 3) Residents felt that the terms excellence and resilience (Gold Foundation IECARES model) did not fit with their own definitions. 4) Residents felt that humanism is a central part of their practice and training. 5) The demands, structure, and culture of residency were often in conflict with promoting humanism in residents. Based on residents' perspectives, we modified the professional identity formation and socialization conceptual framework proposed by Cruess et al. 2015 to reflect humanism identity formation during pediatrics residency. The new framework emphasizes the increased power of the healthcare system and unconscious acquisition on humanism formation in residency as compared to medical school.

CONCLUSIONS

Residents believe that humanism is a core part of practicing medicine and should be reinforced during residency training. Cruess' professional identity and socialization framework is a tool for a better understanding of the complexity of humanism development in residency.

Effectiveness of an online short compassion strengths course on nursing students compassion: A mixed methods non-randomised pilot study

BACKGROUND

Although student nurses are expected to demonstrate and show understanding of compassion in their learning and practice, literature suggests that this is not always the case. To address this, nursing students need to be introduced to the value and behaviours of compassion during their education.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of an online course to help nursing students develop their strengths and further validate the Bolton Compassion Strengths Indicators.

DESIGN

A pre-and post-mixed methods non-randomised pilot study.

SETTING

A university in the north west of England.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample of first year undergraduate nursing students (67), in two groups, with 33 in the online control and 34 in the on-site group.

METHODS

Both groups took part in the Short Compassion Strengths Course (SCSC). The online group took the course in their own time over a 3-week period, while the on-site group completed the course during their time at University. In both groups baseline assessments were carried out using the Bolton Compassion Strengths Indicator (BCSI). Post-test data were collected 3 weeks after in the online group and immediately after in the on-site group, for the BCSI and reflective accounts. Data were analysed using ANOVA in SPSS27.

RESULTS

The online group did not complete the course but filled out the questionnaires. The on-site group had significantly higher scores on all indicators but self-care and engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

The SCSC is an effective course for teaching and developing compassion strengths when delivered on-site. This paper adds further validity for the BCSI.

Influence of the sub-factors of self-compassion on burnout among hospital nurses: A cross-sectional study in South Korea

AIM

This study aimed to identify the effects of the sub-factors of self-compassion on hospital nurse burnout and provide basic knowledge for an intervention program to prevent nurse burnout.

BACKGROUND

Burnout in nurses has been reported to influence their own and patients' mental health and safety. Enhancing self-compassion can help to prevent burnout.

METHODS

This study involved descriptive research using a cross-sectional design. Data were collected at H University Hospital in Korea, from January to March, 2020. Of the 213 questionnaires collected, 208 were included in data analysis.

RESULTS

Burnout was higher when nurses were younger, unmarried, in poor health, general nurses, dissatisfied with their jobs, planning to leave their jobs, or receiving low social support from peers. There was a negative correlation between burnout and the self-compassion subscales. Multiple regression analysis showed that isolation and mindfulness among self-compassion, were significantly related to burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

Since individual variables and self-compassion are major elements impacting nurse burnout, it is important for nursing organizations to investigate nurses' individual variables, including sub-factors of self-compassion, to help them prevent burnout.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Nurse burnout might be prevented by increasing self-compassion. Hospital and nurse managers may employ individualized strategies to enhance nurses' self-compassion.

A Pilot Observational Exploratory Study of Well-Being in Hospice Interdisciplinary Team Members

INTRODUCTION

Well-being and turnover intent represent key aspects to the promotion of a healthy workforce. Alarming levels of burnout and low levels of well-being have been documented in health professionals across care settings. Not only do high levels of burnout, low well-being and high turnover affect health professionals, but they are associated with poor patient care. However, limited research has investigated this topic specifically in hospice interdisciplinary team (IDT) members, nurses, chaplains, social workers. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore hospice IDT members' well-being, and turnover intent.

METHODS

This observational, pilot study used quantitative surveys to examine the well-being, and turnover intention at baseline and at 3 months. Twenty-five hospice IDT members at one site participated.

RESULTS

Paired t-tests and percent change demonstrated significant decreases in compassion satisfaction (44.5 vs. 42.1, p = 0.04) and secondary traumatic stress score (18.5 vs. 13.3, p = 0.0001) and a significant increase in burnout score (17.6 vs. 20.5, p = 0.03) from baseline to follow up. Employee turnover slightly decreased from baseline to follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

In this pilot study, hospice IDT members had low levels of well-being at baseline that worsened over 3-months indicating a higher potential risk for burnout. Moreover, given the COVID-19 pandemic, this may be an ominous sign of what lies ahead for hospice providers regarding turnover, leading to significant long-term staffing problems in the field. If these results hold true in a larger sample, it could necessitate developing and testing further strategies to ensure a healthy and stable workforce.

Psychometric Properties of the Self-Compassion Scale—Short Form: Study of Its Role as a Protector of Spanish Nurses Professional Quality of Life and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Self-compassion is a multifaceted construct that represents compassion turned inward and involves approaching one’s failure and inadequacy with kindness. To measure these self-compassionate behaviors, the Self-Compassion Scale—Short Form (SCS-SF) is one of the most widely used and has been recurrently employed in the healthcare arena. Specifically, self-compassion has been pointed out as essential for providing compassionate care and maintaining healthcare workers balance. Aim: The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to provide evidence of the psychometric properties of the SCS-SF in a sample of Spanish nurses and (2) to study of its role as a protector of Spanish nurses professional quality of life and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A sample of 115 Spanish nurses was studied. Mean age was 43.79 years old (SD = 10.99); 84.3% were women. The factorial structure of the SCS-SF was studied with competitive confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Finally, a full structural equation model was tested, in which positive and negative self-compassion predicted professional quality of life, and professional quality of life, in turn, predicted well-being. Results: Three a priori structures were compared: one-factor, two-factor, and six-factor model. The two-factor solution, positive and negative self-compassion, was retained as the best structure to represent the data. Regarding the predictive model, the two poles of self-compassion predicted professional quality of life prediction, and professional quality of life positively predicted well-being, showing a strong relationship. Conclusion: Self-compassion can be an important resource for nurses’ balance, promoting adequate professional quality of life and their well-being.

Mental health nurses' disaster nursing competencies: A cross-sectional study

The unprecedented and prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has escalated the gravity of disasters in the field of mental health. Nurses are health care providers who play a pivotal role in all phases of disaster management and psychiatric nurses are required to be prepared and equipped with competencies to respond to such disasters. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the effects of mental health nurses' professional quality of life on disaster nursing competencies. This study adhered to the STROBE checklist for observational research. Data were collected from 196 mental health nurses working in various settings, including hospitals and communities in South Korea. Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue were measured using the Korean version of the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Disaster nursing competencies were measured using the Disaster Nursing Preparedness-Response Competencies Scale. Multiple regression analysis showed that compassion satisfaction (β = 0.36, P < 0.001) was the most potent predictor of disaster nursing competencies of mental health nurses, followed by participation in disaster nursing (β = 0.15, P = 0.023) and disaster nursing-related education (β = 0.15, P = 0.026); these factors explained 30.1% of the variance. Education programmes ensuring that mental health nurses are adequately prepared for disaster management should include theoretical content as well as simulation training using virtual situations that resemble actual disasters. Further, supportive leadership and work environments that encourage cohesive teamwork are needed to increase compassion satisfaction of nurses.

Self-Compassion Scale for Youth: Turkish Adaptation and Exploration of the Relationship with Resilience, Depression, and Well-being

Self-compassion refers to being kind, understanding, and accepting toward oneself in times of failure, frustration, or negative feelings. Since self-compassion is related to both physical and psychological well-being, measuring and understanding self-compassion in different populations carries importance for their mental well-being and life satisfaction outcomes. One such group is the youth, who experience unique developmental challenges. For this purpose, a Self-Compassion Scale for Youth (SCS-Y) was developed (Neff et al., 2021) and this paper presents its Turkish adaptation. The Turkish translation of SCS-Y was tested on a sample of Turkish youth (N = 450, 61.8% female, M _age= 13.09 ± 1.59, range = 11-15) and was found to have acceptable reliability. The scale showed a similar structure to the original testing on American youth with a bifactor model of a general self-compassion score and six subscale scores, and a two-bifactor model where negative and positive aspects are grouped together. Self-compassion was positively related to resilience and well-being, and negatively related to depression. A serial mediation analysis showed self-compassion to have a direct and positive effect on resilience, and to have an indirect effect on well-being mediated by resilience and depression. Given that the trainable skill of self-compassion is associated with higher resilience, lower depression, and better well-being, the value of this scale and its different adaptations becomes evident, as they enable measuring self-compassion in youth in various populations such as the present Turkish one and guiding the design of future interventions to increase self-compassion, targeted for the specific concerns of the youth.

The development of self skills in an authentic learning environment: A qualitative study

Background

The contemporary healthcare environment is an authentic, demanding, challenging and ever-changing environment that requires learners to possess good self skills when they need to engage in meaningful, critical discourse in order to solve authentic problems. However, nurse educators assume that learners already have well-developed self skills at the commencement of their nursing training and as a result do not explicitly teach and develop such skills in the learners.

Objectives

The objectives of this research were to explore and describe nurse educators’ views on how learners’ self skills can be developed within an authentic learning (AL) environment, and to formulate recommendations based on the findings.

Method

A qualitative and contextual research design was used to seek rich, in-depth data from 20 nurse educators who were purposively sampled. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed using Miles, Huberman and Saldaña method.

Results

The three themes that emerged were that nurse educators should (1) ensure an AL environment that promotes self skills, (2) engage learners in activities that will consciously evoke authentic self and (3) evaluate the developed self skills and metacognition.

Conclusion

By developing good self skills, learners should be able to deliver quality patient care, find solutions to complex problems and handle cognitive complexity and authentic conditions whilst creating their own identity.

Decreasing Wellbeing and Increasing Use of Negative Coping Strategies: The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the UK Health and Social Care Workforce

Many health and social care (HSC) professionals have faced overwhelming pressures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As the current situation is constantly changing, and some restrictions across the UK countries such as social distancing and mask wearing in this period (May-July 2021) began to ease, it is important to examine how this workforce has been affected and how employers can help rebuild their services. The aim of this study was to compare cross-sectional data collected from the HSC workforce in the UK at three time points during the COVID-19 pandemic: Phase 1 (May-July 2020), Phase 2 (November 2020-January 2021) and Phase 3 (May-July 2021). Respondents surveyed across the UK (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) consisted of nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, social care workers and social workers. Wellbeing and work-related quality of life significantly declined from Phase 1 to 3 (p &lt; 0.001); however, no significant difference occurred between Phases 2 and 3 (p &gt; 0.05). Respondents increasingly used negative coping strategies between Phase 1 (May-July 2020) and Phase 3 (May-July 2021), suggesting that the HSC workforce has been negatively impacted by the pandemic. These results have the potential to inform HSC employers' policies, practices, and interventions as the workforce continues to respond to the COVID-19 virus and its legacy.

Palliative Care Professionals' Inner Life: Exploring the Mediating Role of Self-Compassion in the Prediction of Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue, Burnout and Wellbeing

CONTEXT

Palliative care professionals are exposed to suffering on a daily basis. Working in such an environment frequently raises existential issues, psychological challenges, and emotional distress, that can detract from compassionate care. Identifying factors that help professionals cope with frequent exposure to issues related to mortality, such as compassion, could enhance palliative care providers' and patients' quality of life and wellbeing.

OBJECTIVES

To improve our understanding of the factors associated with professionals' inner life studying the role of self-compassion as a mediating variable between self-care and awareness and professionals' quality of life, and quantifying the impact of compassionate care.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey of palliative care professionals was conducted through the Spanish Society of Palliative Care. 296 professionals answered the survey.

RESULTS

The model tested showed an adequate fit (χ²(212) = 476.688 (P < .001), CFI = .907, RMSEA = .066 [.058,.073], and SRMR = .068), and the hypotheses were supported. Self-care and awareness predicted coping with death and self-compassion, which in turn predicted professional quality of life. Self-compassion had the greatest predictive power. Professional quality of life showed a statistically significant and positive effect on personal wellbeing, explaining more than 50% of its variance (R² = .574; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

For palliative care professionals, the cultivation of self-compassion is equally needed as compassion for others. Professional quality of life and compassionate care are related to professionals' wellbeing: when professionals take care of themselves, this will lead in a more compassionate care, but also in healthier, happier professionals.

Effectiveness of a One Day Self-Compassion Training for Pediatric Nurses' Resilience

BACKGROUND

Resilience is a critical skill for nurses and other healthcare professionals, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet few nurses receive training that promotes emotional awareness and regulation, resilience, and self-compassion.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to understand if attending a one-day workshop format of the Self Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) program would improve pediatric nurses' resilience, well-being, and professional quality of life.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Following a quasi-experimental design, pre, post, and follow-up surveys were acquired from 22 nurses who attended the training and 26 nurses who did not attend the training. In a linear mixed models regression analysis, changes in self-compassion, mindfulness, compassion, resilience, job engagement, professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress), depression, anxiety and stress were analyzed between groups.

RESULTS

Participants in the intervention exhibited significant increases in self-compassion, mindfulness, compassion to others, resilience and compassion satisfaction, and significant decreases in burnout, anxiety, and stress compared to the non-intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS

A one-day SCHC training program provides nurses with knowledge and skills to increase their resilience and support their emotional well-being and professional quality of life.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurses' schedules may hamper their ability to attend lengthy resilience trainings, yet the skills needed for resilience are crucial to decreasing burnout, empathy fatigue, and turnover. Offering an effective, one-day training provides an accessible alternative for nurses to gain knowledge and skills that increase resilience.

Psychosocial Well-Being: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Loneliness, Anxiety, Depression, Self-Compassion, and Professional Quality of Life in Oncology Nurses

BACKGROUND

In addition to heavy workloads, oncology nurses are confronted with emotionally demanding caregiving moments with little training or institutional support for coping and emotional well-being.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore the associations and potential predictors among self-compassion, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and professional quality of life in oncology nurses.

METHODS

Participants were recruited throughout central Texas. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multivariate regression analyses were conducted on survey data.

FINDINGS

Burnout and compassion satisfaction were strongly related to loneliness, self-compassion, and depression. Compassion fatigue was most highly related to anxiety and depression. Loneliness made the strongest unique contribution to burnout and compassion satisfaction, and depression was the only statistically significant predictor of compassion fatigue.

Self-compassion influences the caring behaviour and compassion competence among saudi nursing students: A multi-university study

AIM

This research investigated the perceptions of Saudi nursing students regarding self-compassion and examined its influence on their caring behaviour and compassion competence.

DESIGN

This is a quantitative and cross-sectional study.

METHODS

This multiuniversity study surveyed a convenience sample of 961 nursing using the Self-compassion Scale, Compassion Competence Scale and Caring Behavior Inventory-16 version. Standard multiple analysis was performed separately for caring behaviour and compassion competence as dependent variables. For both models, the self-compassion dimensions and the demographic variables were considered predictor variables.

RESULTS

The students reported their self-compassion moderately, with mindfulness receiving the highest mean and self-judgment receiving the lowest mean. Significant differences were observed on self-compassion of students between universities. Caring behaviour and compassion competence were also rated moderately by the students. "Self-kindness" and "common humanity" were identified as significant predictors of caring behaviour, whereas "self-kindness," "self-judgment," "common humanity" and "mindfulness" were significant predictors of compassion competence.

You and I Both: Self-Compassion Reduces Self-Other Differences in Evaluation of Showing Vulnerability

People tend to be overly critical of their own displays of vulnerability, whereas observers evaluate others’ showing of vulnerability rather positively (beautiful mess effect). We propose that self-compassion might buffer against such misperceptions of one’s own vulnerabilities. When confronted with challenging situations, self-compassionate people are kind to themselves, see adversity as inevitable, and face the difficulty of their circumstances without overexaggeration. Thus, we hypothesized reduced self–other differences in the evaluation of showing vulnerability in self-compassionate individuals. The hypothesis was addressed in four studies. The first two studies measured self-compassion either immediately (Study 1a) or substantially (Study 1b) before participants evaluated showing of vulnerability. Studies 2 and 3 tested the generalizability of the hypothesis across different situations as well as the discriminant validity of self-compassion’s role in the reduction of the beautiful mess effect. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Compassion fatigue as bruises in the soul: A qualitative study on nurses

Background:

Nurses who are constantly being exposed to patients’ suffering can lead to compassion fatigue. There is a gap in the latest research regarding nurses’ experiences of compassion fatigue. Little is known about how compassion fatigue affects the nurse as a person, and indications of how it affects the profession are scarce.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to explore compassion fatigue experienced by nurses and how it affects them as persons and professionals.

Research design, participants, and research context:

A qualitative explorative approach was used. The data consisted of texts from interviews with seven nurses in various nursing contexts. Content analysis was used.

Ethical consideration:

Ethical approval was sought and granted from an ethics committee at the university where the researchers were based, and written, informed consent was obtained from all the participants.

Findings:

Five themes were discovered: Compassion as an empathic gift and compassion fatigue as a result of compassion overload, Compassion fatigue as exhausting the nurse as a professional and private person, Compassion fatigue as a crisis with potentially valuable insights, Compassion fatigue can be handled by self-care and focus on self, and Compassion fatigue is affected by life itself and multifaceted factors.

Discussion:

Compassion stress and overload can lead to compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue affects the nurse’s ability to compassion, and the caring is no longer experienced in the same way; the nurses experienced it as being deprived of the gift of compassion. Compassion fatigue implicates a crisis with potentially valuable insights.

Conclusion:

Compassion fatigue can be symbolized as bruises in the soul, hurtful, but with time it can fade away, although it leaves a sense of caution within the nurse, which can affect the suffering patient.

Compassion toward others and self-compassion predict mental and physical well-being: a 5-year longitudinal study of 1090 community-dwelling adults across the lifespan

There is growing interest in the role of compassion in promoting health and well-being, with cross-sectional data showing an inverse correlation with loneliness. This is the first longitudinal study examining both compassion toward others (CTO) and compassion toward self (CTS) as predictors of mental and physical health outcomes including loneliness, across adult lifespan. We followed 552 women and 538 men in San Diego County for up to 7.5 (mean 4.8 and SD 2.2) years, using validated rating scales for CTO, CTS, and loneliness. Linear mixed-effects models were employed to examine age- and sex-related trajectories of CTO and CTS over time. Linear regression models were used to evaluate baseline and longitudinal relationships of CTO and CTS with mental well-being, physical well-being, and loneliness. CTS and CTO were weakly intercorrelated. Women had higher baseline CTO than men. While CTO was stable over time and across the lifespan, CTS scores had an inverse U-shaped relationship with age, peaking around age 77. There were significant baseline × slope interactions of both CTO and CTS predicting improvements in physical well-being in adults <60 years old. Increases in CTO and CTS predicted improvements in mental well-being. Higher baseline CTO and CTS as well as increases in CTO and CTS scores predicted lower loneliness scores at follow-up. Thus, CTO and CTS were associated with better mental well-being and loneliness across the adult lifespan, and physical well-being in younger adults, and are promising targets for interventions to improve health outcomes.

Compassion Satisfaction, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Burnout among Nurses Working in Trauma Centers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Due to the nature of their work, trauma nurses are exposed to traumatic situations and often experience burnout. We conducted a cross-sectional study examining compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout among trauma nurses to identify the predictors of burnout. Data were collected from 219 nurses in four trauma centers in South Korea from July to August 2019. We used the Traumatic Events Inventory to measure nurses’ traumatic experience and three Professional Quality of Life subscales to measure compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress significantly predicted nurses’ burnout, with compassion satisfaction being the most potent predictor. The regression model explained 59.2% of the variance. Nurses with high job satisfaction, high compassion satisfaction, and low secondary traumatic stress tend to experience less burnout than their counterparts. Nurse managers should recognize that strategies to enhance job and compassion satisfaction and decrease secondary traumatic stress are required to decrease burnout among nurses in trauma centers.

Mindfulness, Compassion, and Self-Compassion as Moderator of Environmental Support on Competency in Mental Health Nursing

This research explored the established relationship between environmental support and competency for Mental Health Nurses, intending to investigate whether the tendency to display higher levels of mindfulness, compassion, and self-compassion might buffer the effect of a poor environment on competency. One questionnaire was comprised of five pre-developed questionnaires, which included all items examining environmental support, competency, mindfulness, compassion, and self-compassion. Mental Health Nurses (n = 103) were recruited from online forums and social media group pages in the UK. The result showed environmental support related positively to competency. Furthermore, the positive relationship of competency with environmental support was moderated when controlling for compassion but did not with mindfulness and self-compassion, although subscales showed some further interactions. When poor environmental support influences the competency of mental health professionals, compassion and mindfulness-based interactions may have the potential to uphold competency.

Examining the Exercise and Self-Esteem Model Revised with Self-Compassion among Hong Kong Secondary School Students Using Structural Equation Modeling

The association between physical activity in achieving mental health benefits and subjective well-being is consistently identified by empirical research. The causation of a positive self-concept created by physical exercise is empirically supported by Sonstroem and Morgan's (1988) exercise and self-esteem model (EXSEM). However, various drawbacks of maintaining high self-esteem have been identified; thus, the concept of self-compassion was conjectured to be a form of "true self-esteem." Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity and self-compassion by examining the exercise and self-esteem model revised with self-compassion (EXSEM-SC). This study recruited secondary school students from Hong Kong using convenience sampling. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, including path analysis and multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling, were used to reveal the results of the study. The results (n = 1097) indicated that the relationship between physical activity and self-compassion could be demonstrated by the EXSEM-SC, with a satisfactory goodness-of-fit index in the SEMs. The SEM also demonstrated the direct paths from physical activity to self-compassion and mental well-being, indicating the significant effect of physical activity on self-compassion.

Meta-analytic review on the differential effects of self-compassion components on well-being and psychological distress: The moderating role of dialecticism on self-compassion

Although self-compassion has been extensively studied in the recent decades, the representation of self-compassion as a unitary measure or the presence of self-warmth (i.e., presence of the positive components: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness) and self-coldness (i.e., presence of the negative components: self-judgment, isolation, and mindfulness) remains controversial. Moreover, the differential effects of the six components of self-compassion on mental well-being and psychological distress have not been systematically investigated. To synthesize the differential effects of the six components of self-compassion and to examine how people in different cultures may associate the positive and negative components of self-compassion differentially, the present meta-analysis synthesized 183 effect sizes across 27 cultures. Results showed that the negative components of self-compassion (rs = 0.44 to 0.45) showed greater effect sizes with psychological distress than the positive counterparts (rs = -0.17 to -0.29) whereas the positive components of SCS (rs = 0.29 to.39) showed greater effect sizes with mental well-being than the negative counterparts (rs = -0.29 to -0.36), with the exception of common humanity and isolation (r = 0.29 and - 0.36). Cultural orientation of dialecticism moderated the association between the positive and the negative components of self-compassion, with dialectical cultures showing lower associations between the two opposing components. Findings have implications on the design and implementation of self-compassion interventions cross-culturally.

Quality of Work Life and Contribution to Productivity: Assessing the Moderator Effects of Burnout Syndrome

This study is focused on assessing the effects of burnout as a moderator of the relationship between employees' quality of work life (QWL) and their perceptions of their contribution to the organization's productivity by integrating the QWL factors into the trichotomy of (de)motivators of productivity in the workplace. The empirical findings resulting from an OLS multiple regression, with interaction terms, applied to a survey administered at 514 employees in 6 European countries, point out two important insights: (i) QWL hygiene factors (e.g., safe work environment and occupational healthcare) positively and significantly influence the contribution to productivity; and (ii) burnout de-motivator factors (that is, low effectiveness, cynicism, and emotional exhaustion) significantly moderate the relationship between QWL and the contribution to productivity. Combining burnout with other QWL components, such as occupational health, safe work, and appropriate salary, new insights are provided concerning the restricting (i.e., low effectiveness and cynicism) and catalyzing (emotional exhaustion) burnout components of contribution to productivity. These findings are particularly relevant given the increased weight of burnout, mental disorders and absenteeism in the labor market, affecting individuals' quality of life and organizations' performance and costs.