EC Psychology And Psychiatry

The study details a concise examination of the impact of compassion fatigue on healthcare professionals in selected hospitals in Lusaka. The term compassion fatigue is referred to as the "cost of caring" a phenomenon stemming from chronic exposure to a patient's suffering and negatively affecting healthcare workers’ and/or providers' well-being and overall job performance. Carla Joinson coined the term three decades ago to refer to the loss of ability to nurture among nurses, presenting burn-out, and Charles Figley, a leading traumatologist, defined it as “the deep physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion resulting from working in an intensely caring environment”.

The study investigated the prevalence, causes, consequences, and coping mechanisms of compassion fatigue among healthcare professionals such as nurses, doctors, palliative and hospice workers, therapists, and social workers. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach using standardized interviews, surveys, and observations over a period of eight months.

The study findings revealed patterns and results similar to studies conducted in several countries focused on fatigue, burnout, and post-traumatic stress among various healthcare professionals and highlighted an urgent need for policy change and implementation, systemic organisational support, self-care, and coping strategies, as well as interventions to mitigate compassion fatigue's detrimental effects on general healthcare workers and enhance their overall quality of patient care.

 Keywords: Compassion Fatigue; Coping Strategies; Healthcare Professionals; Interventions; Organizational Support

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