Limited research has investigated the stress-related experiences of South African nursing students. Moreover, there is a scarcity of empirical studies that have reported on the development and evaluation of psycho-educational stress-management programmes that focus on both pathogenic, as well as positive and meaning-related factors among nursing students. The aim of this investigation was to study compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction and meaning in life among a sample of nursing students with the aim of developing, and then empirically evaluating, a psycho-educational stress-management programme. The psycho-educational stress-management programme was articulated from a logotherapy-based perspective. A research design, consisting of three interdependent phases, was used to pursue the aim of the study. The aim of phase 1 was to describe the (1) prevalence of, and (2) correlations between, the deleterious and positive and meaningful effects of caring and among a sample of 80 nursing students (Mage = 22.40 years, SD = 11.1, female = 91.25%). The results indicated that participants may benefit from a logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme. The purpose of phase 2 of the study was to develop a logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme for nursing students. The goal of the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was to assist participants to develop the skills, knowledge and abilities that may be required to address deleterious challenges, and enhance positive and meaning-related opportunities. In phase 3 the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was presented to a sample of 42 first year nursing students (Mage = 20.21, SD = 1.57, female = 79.31%). A convergent parallel mixed methods research design was used to evaluate the efficacy of the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme. Quantitative results indicated (1) a reduction in compassion fatigue and burnout, and (2) an increase in compassion satisfaction and meaning in life, scores over the course of the programme. Qualitative analysis supported the quantitative results. It was subsequently concluded that the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was effective in assisting participants to address the deleterious , as well embrace the positive and meaning-related effects of caring. However, ongoing support may be required to fully assist nursing students to address stressful challenges. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between burnout and work engagement among employees in the pharmaceutical distribution industry. The research conducted on these concepts was geared towards adding to the knowledge base in the field of industrial and organisational psychology, to enable the current organisation from which the sample was chosen and other organisations in South Africa to focus on the effect that burnout has on employees, which directly affects the company. A quantitative survey using primary data was conducted on a convenience sample (N = 204) of full-time employees in a South African pharmaceutical distribution company. The Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey model (MBI-GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) model were used to gather data. The work engagement-burnout continuum has received a great deal of research attention (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003; Schutte, Toppinen, Kalimo, & Schaufeli, 2000) that has produced contradicting results. One viewpoint regards the core constructs of work engagement and burnout as opposite poles of two continua (vigour-exhaustion and dedication-cynicism), labelled energy and identification, respectively (González-Romá, Schaufeli, Bakker, & Lloret, 2006). Work engagement is ”characterized by a high level of energy and strong identification with one’s work”, while burnout is ”characterized by the opposite: A low level of energy combined with poor identification with one’s work” (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003, p. 5; Bakker, Schaufeli, Leiter, & Taris, 2008). Hence work engagement and burnout can be recognised as inseparable and co-dependent constructs that share more or less 10 to 25% of their variance and are moderately negatively related (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004; Schaufeli, Salanova, González-Romá, & Bakker, 2002). The second viewpoint regards work engagement and burnout as being strongly related, but fundamentally different in their separation in the work experience. They are therefore not opposite poles of a continuum (Denton, Newton, & Bower, 2008; Huhtala & Parzefall, 2007; Rothmann & Joubert, 2007; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004; Schaufeli et al., 2002). Work engagement is defined as a ”positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterised by vigour, dedication, and absorption” (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004, p. 295). Burnout, however, is defined by Maslach and Jackson (1981, p. 99) as a ”syndrome of emotional exhaustion and cynicism that occurs frequently amongst individuals who do ‘people-work’ of some kind”. The statistical results of this study confirmed the hypothesis. It was found that there is a significant relationship between burnout and work engagement. Burnout is indeed negatively related to work engagement in the contact centre. However, a definitive relationship between burnout and work engagement in the distribution centre was not established. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial Psychology)

Limited research has investigated the stress-related experiences of South African nursing students. Moreover, there is a scarcity of empirical studies that have reported on the development and evaluation of psycho-educational stress-management programmes that focus on both pathogenic, as well as positive and meaning-related factors among nursing students. The aim of this investigation was to study compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction and meaning in life among a sample of nursing students with the aim of developing, and then empirically evaluating, a psycho-educational stress-management programme. The psycho-educational stress-management programme was articulated from a logotherapy-based perspective. A research design, consisting of three interdependent phases, was used to pursue the aim of the study. The aim of phase 1 was to describe the (1) prevalence of, and (2) correlations between, the deleterious and positive and meaningful effects of caring and among a sample of 80 nursing students (Mage = 22.40 years, SD = 11.1, female = 91.25%). The results indicated that participants may benefit from a logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme. The purpose of phase 2 of the study was to develop a logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme for nursing students. The goal of the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was to assist participants to develop the skills, knowledge and abilities that may be required to address deleterious challenges, and enhance positive and meaning-related opportunities. In phase 3 the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was presented to a sample of 42 first year nursing students (Mage = 20.21, SD = 1.57, female = 79.31%). A convergent parallel mixed methods research design was used to evaluate the efficacy of the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme. Quantitative results indicated (1) a reduction in compassion fatigue and burnout, and (2) an increase in compassion satisfaction and meaning in life, scores over the course of the programme. Qualitative analysis supported the quantitative results. It was subsequently concluded that the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was effective in assisting participants to address the deleterious , as well embrace the positive and meaning-related effects of caring. However, ongoing support may be required to fully assist nursing students to address stressful challenges. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between burnout and work engagement among employees in the pharmaceutical distribution industry. The research conducted on these concepts was geared towards adding to the knowledge base in the field of industrial and organisational psychology, to enable the current organisation from which the sample was chosen and other organisations in South Africa to focus on the effect that burnout has on employees, which directly affects the company. A quantitative survey using primary data was conducted on a convenience sample (N = 204) of full-time employees in a South African pharmaceutical distribution company. The Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey model (MBI-GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) model were used to gather data. The work engagement-burnout continuum has received a great deal of research attention (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003; Schutte, Toppinen, Kalimo, & Schaufeli, 2000) that has produced contradicting results. One viewpoint regards the core constructs of work engagement and burnout as opposite poles of two continua (vigour-exhaustion and dedication-cynicism), labelled energy and identification, respectively (González-Romá, Schaufeli, Bakker, & Lloret, 2006). Work engagement is ”characterized by a high level of energy and strong identification with one’s work”, while burnout is ”characterized by the opposite: A low level of energy combined with poor identification with one’s work” (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003, p. 5; Bakker, Schaufeli, Leiter, & Taris, 2008). Hence work engagement and burnout can be recognised as inseparable and co-dependent constructs that share more or less 10 to 25% of their variance and are moderately negatively related (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004; Schaufeli, Salanova, González-Romá, & Bakker, 2002). The second viewpoint regards work engagement and burnout as being strongly related, but fundamentally different in their separation in the work experience. They are therefore not opposite poles of a continuum (Denton, Newton, & Bower, 2008; Huhtala & Parzefall, 2007; Rothmann & Joubert, 2007; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004; Schaufeli et al., 2002). Work engagement is defined as a ”positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterised by vigour, dedication, and absorption” (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004, p. 295). Burnout, however, is defined by Maslach and Jackson (1981, p. 99) as a ”syndrome of emotional exhaustion and cynicism that occurs frequently amongst individuals who do ‘people-work’ of some kind”. The statistical results of this study confirmed the hypothesis. It was found that there is a significant relationship between burnout and work engagement. Burnout is indeed negatively related to work engagement in the contact centre. However, a definitive relationship between burnout and work engagement in the distribution centre was not established. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial Psychology)