A clinical psychological study targeted at preventing compassion fatigue of nurses in cancer care

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25780415
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Clinical psychology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: Fukumori Takaki 徳島大学, 大学院総合科学研究部, 准教授 (50453402)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 共感疲労 / 二次的トラウマティック・ストレス / がん医療 / 看護師 / 内容分析 / 認知的反応 / ProQOL

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This is a fundamental study aimed at identifying ways to prevent compassion fatigue in nurses employed in cancer care. In Study 1 (qualitative study) of this two-part research, 30 nurses in cancer care were interviewed semi-structurally and the transcribed data was examined through content analysis. The results show 40 attributes and 13 categories as cognitive reactions arising from the nurses’ exposure to cancer patients’ personal trauma, leading to compassion fatigue. In Study 2 (quantitative study), 618 nurses were surveyed using a questionnaire. Based on the results of this study, a version of the compassion fatigue scale (ProQOL) for Japanese nurses was developed, and the reality of compassion fatigue in Japanese nurses was demonstrated.

Free Research Field

臨床心理学