Paramedics are exposed to high levels of stress and trauma in their working environment. Research has its focus on the coping mechanisms and trauma incidents escalating into Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. This study examines the paramedics’ working environment in relation to the help available, and suggests a pastoral counselling method which may be utilized as an effective method of assisting in the coping process and prevention of PTSD. Emergency Medical Services as a helping profession is mainly concerned with the welfare of their patients. This study has its focus on helping the helper, with the main focus on assisting the paramedic to cope with his working environment. Implications of the research include kerugmatik counselling and narrative therapy, incorporated in a pastoral counselling method to assist the paramedic with the healing process. The main findings were that stress and coping of the paramedic in his working environment was a reality which was often overlooked, as these paramedics had their focus on caring for their patients. In most cases there is help available, but the paramedic is hesitant to seek it out. Paramedics are mostly self-reliant in their coping mechanisms as their understanding and relationship with God and with the church had been damaged. The researcher followed the four tasks of practical theology as theoretical framework, as explained by Osmer: Descriptive-empirical Task – Priestly listening Interpretive Task – Sagely wisdom Normative Task – Prophetic discernment Pragmatic Task – Servant Leadership / Thesis (MA (Pastoral Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This study features an examination of the effects of working with traumatised individuals, namely vicarious traumatisation. Predictor variables such as age, career longevity, personal trauma history and workload were correlated with vicarious trauma. Support systems used by nurses were explored. The questionnaire consisted of items of the TSI Belief Scale, demographic characteristics of persons with a personal trauma history, work related aspects and support systems. Participants were 37 nurses (30 female and 7 male) who render a community mental health service in the Cape Metropole. Results of the study indicate that the variables age and career longevity were statistically significantly related to vicarious trauma. There was no relationship between personal trauma history, workload and vicarious trauma. The nurses identified the psychiatrist and psychologist as their main support systems in dealing with vicarious trauma. Recommendations were made to assist the organisation and nurses on how to deal with vicarious trauma. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur socialarbetare upplever och hanterar de känslor som väcks i mötet med klienter.  I studien användes en kvalitativ metod där sex semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med socialarbetare i Mellansverige. Det empiriska materialet analyserades genom en tematisk analys. De teman som framkom under analysen var känslomässig påverkan, stress och empatitrötthet, att ta på sig den profesionella rocken, kollegor, arbetsmiljö och egenvård. Vi har även analyserat det empiriska materialet med hjälp av tidigare forskning och teoretiska perspektiv. De teorier som användes i studien var Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv och Lazarus och Folkmans copingteori. Resultatet av studien visade att socialarbetarna upplevde olika känslor i möten med klienter och att de känslomässiga påfrestningarna som jobbet medför har påverkat de på olika sätt. Socialarbetarna kunde beskriva olika strategier de använde sig av för att hantera arbetets olika påfrestningar. Resultaten visade att användandet av strategier och andra förebyggande faktorer bidrog till att ge socialarbetarna en bättre förmåga att hantera arbetet för att må bra både i arbetslivet och utanför arbetet. Några av de bidragande faktorer som framkom i samtalen med socialarbetarna var vikten av kollegialt stöd, en fungerande arbetsmiljö samt egenvård. / The aim of this study was to examine how social workers experience and cope with emotions that occur in meetings with clients. Using a qualitative method, we interviewed six social workers in central Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed through a thematic analysis. Themes that emerged during the analysis were emotional impact, stress, compassion fatigue, being a professional, colleagues, work environment and self-care. We also analyzed the empirical material with the help of previous research and theoretical perspectives. The theories used were Goffman's dramaturgical perspective and Lazarus och Folkman’s coping theory. The results showed that social workers experience different emotions in meetings with clients and that the emotional strains that the job entails affect them in different ways. The social workers could describe different strategies used to handle the different strains of work. The results showed that the use of strategies and other preventive factors contributed to giving social workers a better ability to handle work to feel good both at work and outside of work. Some contributing factors that were highlighted in the interviews were the importance of collegial support, a functioning work environment and self-care.

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Background: Compassion-fatigue is a condition which therapists are forced into as a consequence of the nature of their work. The phenomenon has historically, and to some extent currently, been described as secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress and burnout. The goal of this paper is to bring clarity as to what the phenomenon is and how it has been used in research, how common it is, what factors have been identified in the research that increase or decrease risk of developing it and lastly if any attempts have been made to develop a specific approach in preventing and/or treating the condition. Method: This current paper is a scoping review with a systematic approach.12 published studies, quantitative and qualitative in nature, were included and passed for review. Results: The result of the review indicates a deficit in data regarding prevalence of the phenomenon in the population and a general lack of randomized and experimental data. Most of the published studies were exploring psychologist experiences and secondarily attempting to identify factors predicting the development of compassion-fatigue. In conclusion, the phenomenon, regardless of what term is used, seems to be clearly delineated from conditions more akin to exhaustion and depression. Discussion: According to this study compassion-fatigue seems to be a condition that is sparked by the extraneous use of one’s empathic abilities past a tolerable point. Increased exposure by psychologists to work with patients with trauma may increase the risk of developing compassion-fatigue. It is still unknown what the mechanisms are that causes the condition and its prevalence among the population and further research, preferably randomized and experimental with comparison groups, is needed in order for this area to be fully mapped and explained.

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Background: Intensive Care and Anaesthetists Nurses are, through their profession and the COVID-19 pandemic, predisposed to suffering from Compassion Fatigue (CF). CF develops as stressors exceed the ability to cope with the demands of caring and has been associated with organisational factors. When nurses develop CF, healthcare organisations and patients suffer. The individual nurse becomes negatively affected and may develop a turnover intention, which is particularly worrying due to the current shortage of specialist nurses. Motive: In Sweden, there is a lack of knowledge about Intensive Care and Anaesthesia Nurses’ CF with focus on organisational factors and turnover intention.  Aim: to measure Intensive Care and Anaesthesia nurses’ Compassion Fatigue and explore its correlation with organisational support and turnover intention in the context of Swedish healthcare in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a cross-sectional correlation study. 79 specialist nurses answered a web-based survey which included, among other instruments, the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Spearman's rank, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U were used in the statistical analysis in jamovi. Result: Specialist nurses had moderate Compassion Satisfaction (CS) while CF, measured as Burnout (BO) and Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), was low. CS was negatively correlated with BO. Intensive Care Nurses and female nurses had higher STS. Current job turnover intention was associated with CS, BO and Perceived Organizational Support (POS). Nursing profession turnover intention was associated with CS and CF. In addition to current-job turnover, POS was correlated to CS and BO.   Conclusion: The Professional Quality of Life is a useful tool to monitor the trends in specialist nurses’ wellbeing. POS has the potential to improve several issues simultaneously, increasing CS and reducing BO and turnover intention. Future research should therefore focus on POS as well as explore CS potential to minimise BO. / Bakgrund: Intensivvårds- och Anestesisjuksköterskor är, genom deras yrke och COVID-19-pandemin, predisponerade att lida av empatitrötthet. Empatitrötthet utvecklas i takt med att stressfaktorer överstiger förmågan att klara av omvårdnads utmaningar och har förknippats med organisatoriska faktorer. När sjuksköterskor utvecklar empatitrötthet drabbas hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisationer samt patienter. Den individuella sjuksköterskan blir negativt påverkad och intention till egenuppsägning kan utvecklas, vilket är särskilt oroande på grund av den rådande bristen på specialistsjuksköterskor. Motiv: I Sverige, saknas det kunskap om Intensivvårds- och Anestesisjuksköterskors empatitrötthet med fokus på organisatoriska faktorer och intention till egenuppsägning. Syfte: Att mäta Intensivvårds- och Anestesisjuksköterskors empatitrötthet och utforska dess korrelation med organisatoriskt stöd och intention till egenuppsägning i kontexten av svensk hälso- och sjukvård efter COVID-19-pandemin. Metod: En korrelationsstudie har genomförts med tvärsnittsstudiedesign. 79 specialistsjuksköterskor besvarade en webbaserad enkät som bland annat inkluderade skalan Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL). Spearman's rank, Kruskal-Wallis och Mann-Whitney U användes för genomförandet av statistikanalysen i dataprogrammet jamovi. Resultat: Specialistsjuksköterskorna hade måttlig medkänsle-tillfredsställelse medan empatitrötthet, mätt som utbrändhet och sekundär traumatisk stress, var låg. Medkänsletillfredsställelse var negativt korrelerat med utbrändhet. Intensivvårdssjuksköterskor och kvinnliga sjuksköterskor hade högre sekundär traumatisk stress. Egenuppsägningsintention från nuvarande jobbet var associerad med medkänsletillfredsställelse, utbrändhet och upplevt organisatoriskt stöd. Egenuppsägningsintention från sjuksköterskeyrket var associerat med medkänsletillfredsställelse och empatitrötthet. Utöver egenuppsägningsintention från nuvarande jobbet så var upplevt organisatoriskt stöd korrelerat till medkänsletillfredsställelse och utbrändhet. Slutsats: ProQOL är ett användbart instrument för att bevaka förändringar i specialistsjuksköterskornas välbefinnande. Organisatoriskt stöd har potential att förbättra flera problem samtidigt genom att öka medkänsletillfredsställelse och reducera utbrändhet samt egenuppsägningsintention. Framtida forskning bör därför fokusera på upplevt organisatoriskt stöd samt att utforska potentialet av medkänsletillfredsställelse för att minimera utbrändhet.

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