Professional Quality of Life among Nurses Caring for Cancer Patients at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi City County, Kenya
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Date
2022
Authors
Gikonyo, Catherine. W.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Chronic exposure to stressful situations at the workplace has been associated with health care workers low quality of life particularly if they have no adequate coping strategies in place. The compassion fatigue and burnout syndrome, affects many healthcare workers which in turn impact negatively on the quality of care given to patients. The professional quality of life (Compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction) has been focused extensively in developed countries, however few studies have explored this concepts among oncology nurses regionally. The study aimed at assessing the level of professional quality of life (compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction) among nurses caring for cancer patients at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), identify their determinants and statistical relationships between variables. The study adopted a correlation quantitative design on the target populations at KNH oncology clinic/units sample size of 90 participants. The Professional Quality of Life Version -V (ProQoL-5) and Brief COPE inventory self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Stratified and simple random sampling was used to select the study participants from different units. Pretesting of the study tool was done at MTRH to ascertain reliability and validity of the tool. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson r, and stepwise regression analysis. Ethical approval was sort from Kenyatta University, Kenyatta National Hospital/University of Nairobi Ethics and Research Committee (KNH/UON ERC) and KNH medical research center. The findings revealed a mean score for compassion satisfaction 42+4.76, burnout 33±4.7 and compassion fatigue 27±8.7. There was a statistical significant difference in the levels of ProQoL based some demographic factors and personal factors. A negative relationship between compassion satisfaction with exposure to antineoplastic agents, workload and insufficient preparation but positively correlated with burnout and compassion fatigue. The predicting factors for all subscales of ProQoL was staff patient ratio. The participants had high compassion satisfaction levels despite poor staff patient ratio. Good interpersonal relationship and personal resilience strategies promote compassion satisfaction and reduction of burnout and compassion fatigue levels. The study recommends the hospitals to improve nurse patient ratio, Work force empowerment of oncology health care workers, bereavement and Mentorship programs to help nurses deal with unresolved grief associated with oncology care. A national wide similar mixed study with a large sample is highly recommended.
Description
Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Master of Science (Oncology Nursing) in the School of Nursing-Kenyatta University, May, 2022
Keywords
Professional, Quality of Life, Nurses, Caring, Cancer Patients, Kenyatta National Hospital,, Nairobi City County, Kenya