Compassion fatigue: a study among the staff working i at the critical care areas of Kenyatta National Hospital Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Objective The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of compassion fatigue among the critical area workers of Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. Design This was a descriptive cross sectional study. Outcome measures The prevalence rates, social demographic characteristics, factors associated with compassion fatigue. Procedure This was purposeful sampling study where all the categories of staffs working in the critical care areas were included. Results The prevalence rate of compassion fatigue was found to be 74.4%. The risk factors associated with compassion fatigue were being young with those between 26 - 35 found to have the highest rate of compassion fatigue. Being married the rate of compassion fatigue increased from 22.2% for high risk to 51% for the extremely high risk. Being a protestant Christian the rate of compassion fatigue increased from 14.7% to 58.7% for those with high to extremely high risk of compassion fatigue. Working in the intensive care unit, those working in intensive care had compassion fatigue increasing from 17.2% from high to extremely high 51.9%. Those with college diplomas from medical training colleges were also found to suffer from fatigue ranging from 19.4% to 55.8% for high to extremely high. Others found to have high level of fatigue were those who were willing to change the department, where the level of compassion fatigue increased from 17.2% and 65.5% for those with high and extremely high respectively. The protective factor identified in this study was only the period of work. Those who had worked for more years had less compassion fatigue.