Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Among Health Care Professionals: Protocol for a Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Professionals
• Occupational Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Compassion fatigue and burnout are significant concerns for healthcare professionals, affecting their well-being and patient care.
• Existing research on these issues highlights the need for comprehensive understanding and effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map evidence on compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress in healthcare professionals.
• To identify factors influencing the professional quality of life among these workers.
• To inform the development of targeted interventions and policies.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review will be conducted using established methodologies (Arksey & O'Malley, Levac et al., JBI).
• Extensive literature searches will cover multiple databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, etc.) and gray literature.
• Inclusion criteria focus on primary studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and guidelines addressing compassion fatigue and burnout prevention.

Main Results:

• The review will synthesize findings on the prevalence of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress.
• Key influencing factors on professional quality of life will be identified.
• Gaps in the current literature regarding prevention strategies will be highlighted.

Conclusions:

• Findings will guide the development of evidence-based interventions to mitigate compassion fatigue and burnout.
• The review will inform policy decisions aimed at enhancing healthcare professionals' well-being and job satisfaction.
• This work contributes to a better understanding of occupational challenges faced by healthcare providers.