The Relationship of Self-Care with Compassion Fatigue and Burnout, a Five-Country Replication Study

Wednesday, 1 August 2012: 9:20 AM

Rachael A. Vernon, RN, BN, MPhil (Distinction)
School of Nursing, Eastern Institute of Technology, Napier, New Zealand
John W. Nelson, RN, MS
Research Administration, Healthcare Environment, Inc, St. Paul, MN

Self-care has been shown to have a negative relationship with both compassion fatigue and burnout.  A replication study to examine this same relationship of self care with compassion fatigue and burnout was conducted in Botswana, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, and Spain.

This presentation will review the relationship found in the aggregate and individual country data.  Differences found in self-care, compassion fatigue, and burnout when comparing countries will also be reviewed.  Researchers from the five countries extensively discussed the findings in relationship to their respective context.  Results from the discussion of context will also be reviewed in this presentation.

The original study from the USA will be examined and compared to the five-country study.  All six countries used Watson’s Theory of Caritas to examine the 10 caring behaviors.  Results revealed differences and similarities of the rank order of the 10 self care behaviors within each country will also be reviewed.

Finally, suggestions for model refinement in the examination of self-care will be reviewed for the aggregate study.  Countries utilized the model derived from the aggregate model to tailor the model to their respective context.  Model specification for studying self care is vital if error in the data is to be minimized in understanding the outcomes of self care around the globe.