Date of Award

4-22-2016

Degree Type

Evidence-Based Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Julie A. Koch

Abstract

Oncology nursing is widely viewed as a rewarding and emotional challenging specialty. Oncology nurses witness terminal illness, death, physical, and emotional suffering which increases their risk of developing compassion fatigue. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to increase awareness of compassion fatigue among oncology nurses by providing them with knowledge, effective coping skills, and self-care management skills. The Theory of Human Caring was used as the theoretical framework to support this EBP project and the intervention was guided by The Iowa Model of Research-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care. The project used a pre-test and post-test design. Compassion fatigue scores of the Professional Quality of Life Scale V (ProQOL-V) were compared from the pre-intervention stage of compassion fatigue education to the post-intervention stage upon completion of the compassion fatigue education. Participants were recruited from a tertiary care center hospital in central Indiana. Sixteen participants (n=16) were recruited and eleven participants (n=11) completed the post-intervention stage of the project. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare mean pre- and post-test compassion fatigue scores. Results demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in compassion fatigue scores following the intervention (z-score = -2.27, p < 0.05). The findings of this evidence-based practice project suggest that implementation of compassion fatigue education can decrease the severity of compassion fatigue experienced by oncology nurses working on a bone marrow transplant unit.

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