Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare Workers Working in the Emergency Department, Emergency Room, and General Intensive Care Units.

NCT07450339 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: EMERGENCY FATIGUE
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 159
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Compassion Fatigue can be conceptualized as consisting of two components (Gentry, 2015): (1) burnout, and (2) secondary traumatic stress (STS), also referred to as vicarious trauma. The study includes a quantitative assessment through the administration of the Professional Quality of Life Scale (Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue, Version 5; Stamm, 2009) at two time points, baseline (T0) and follow-up (T1), to measure levels of Compassion Fatigue among healthcare professionals working within the Emergency Department, specifically in the Emergency Room and General Intensive Care Unit. In the interval between the two quantitative assessments, following T0 and preceding T1, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach will be conducted. The study will also explore potential protective and risk factors related to Compassion Fatigue specific to the Emergency Room and General Intensive Care Unit settings. The Participatory Action Research will be carried out using focus group methodology. The primary objective of the study is to assess Compassion Fatigue (Larsen \& Stamm, 2008) among healthcare professionals working in the Emergency Department, specifically in the Emergency Room and General Intensive Care Unit of the Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia, before (T0) and after (T1) the implementation of the Participatory Action Research conducted through focus groups. The second assessment (T1) will be carried out 18 months after the baseline assessment (T0)

Conditions

Compassion Fatigue; Burnout; Stress (Psychology); Coping

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• The primary endpoint will be the change in the Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue, Version 5 (Stamm, 2009) score measured before (T0) and after (T1) the focus group sessions.

  The primary objective will be measured using the following psychological instrument: the Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue, Version 5 (ProQOL; Stamm, 2009), a self-report questionnaire consisting of 20 items designed to assess Compassion Fatigue in caregiving activities. The primary endpoint will be the difference between the Professional Quality of Life scores measured at the 18-month follow-up (T1) after the Participatory Action Research (focus groups) and the baseline assessment (T0), both overall and stratified by clinical department.

  from enrollment to the end of treatment at 18 months

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Change in score on the professional burnout subscale

  from the enrollment to the end of treatment at 18 months

• Change in the Secondary Traumatic Stress sub scale score

  from the enrollment to the end of treatment at 18 months

• Association between participants' characteristics and level of participation with changes in scale scores

  From the enrollment to the end of treatment at 18 months

Study Arms (1)

16groups composed of different healthcare professionals from the Emergency Department and ICU

Participants were stratified according to clinical department (Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit) and professional role (physician, medical residents, nurses, and healthcare assistants), resulting in a total of 16 groups. Each group was invited to participate in a series of focus groups aimed at exploring topics such as burnout, secondary traumatic stress, coping strategies, and related psychological experiences.

Other: Focus Group

Interventions

Focus Group OTHER

The focus groups were organized into five modules: (1) compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress; (2) coping strategies (problem-focused and emotion-focused coping); (3) work motivation and work-related stress; (4) work-life balance; and (5) advice and work organization

16groups composed of different healthcare professionals from the Emergency Department and ICU

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will consist of healthcare professionals working in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit of the Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia, including attending physicians, medical residents, nurses, and healthcare assistants.

You may qualify if:

• Minimum age of 18 years at the time of questionnaire completion;
• Employment in the Emergency Room or General Intensive Care Unit of the Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo as a physician, nurse, or healthcare assistant at the time of questionnaire completion;

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals who, although employed at the Policlinico San Matteo at the time of questionnaire completion, do not work as physicians, nurses, or healthcare assistants or do not reside in Italy at the time of questionnaire completion;
• Individuals who, although employed at the Policlinico San Matteo at the time of questionnaire completion and working as physicians, nurses, or healthcare assistants, are not assigned to one of the departments involved in the study (Emergency Room or General Intensive Care Unit).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia: lead

Study Sites (1)

Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo

Pavia, Lombardy, 27100, Italy

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Compassion Fatigue; Burnout, Psychological

Interventions

Focus Groups

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Fatigue; Fatigue; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Occupational Stress; Stress, Psychological

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 19, 2026
• First Posted: March 4, 2026
• Study Start: April 3, 2023
• Primary Completion: February 10, 2025
• Study Completion: February 10, 2025
• Last Updated: March 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-08

Locations

IT (1)