Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout during a pandemic

Abstract

Background:Work-related mental health issues in New Zealand are increasing yearly and impact on how employees are able to cope with day-to-day pressures and work productivity. Work-related mental health issues are especially prevalent during times of great stress such as the coronavirus pandemic.Aim:In this study, the prevalence of compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction were assessed using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale and a range of demographic and descriptive questions.Methods:The ProQOL is a Likert-style survey for those in human- or animal care roles, such as veterinary nurses. It measures compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction, rating the scores as low, moderate, or high risk. The survey was hosted via an online survey website for 6 weeks.Results:The survey received 166 usable responses. The average scores indicated moderate risk for most respondents for compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction.Conclusion:This research indicates that New Zealand's veterinary nurses show similar levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction to international results in veterinary nurses assessed prior to the coronavirus pandemic, indicating that New Zealand veterinary nurses coped remarkably well during the global catastrophe.