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Nurse-Patient Connectedness and Nurses' Professional Quality of Life: Experiences of Volunteering at a Pediatric Oncology Camp.
- Source :
-
Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses [J Pediatr Oncol Nurs] 2020 Mar/Apr; Vol. 37 (2), pp. 136-147. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Nov 18. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Objective: Pediatric oncology nurses can experience burnout, vicarious traumatization, and compassion fatigue related to the unique stressors of their profession. Opportunities to enhance nurses' professional commitment and nurse-patient connectedness may mitigate these stressors. This study explored the impact of volunteering at a local oncology camp on pediatric oncology nurses' professional quality of life and connectedness with their oncology patients. Method and Sample: Pediatric oncology nurses from a single institution were invited to participate in this mixed methods study. Participants completed a survey assessing professional quality of life, professional commitment, and patient connectedness. Nurses who had oncology camp volunteer experience were invited to participate in a qualitative interview. Results: Compared with noncamp nurses ( n = 23), camp nurses ( n = 25) had increased odds of a low burnout score (odds ratio = 6.74, 95% confidence interval [1.10, 41.43], p = .039) and increased odds of a high compassion satisfaction score (odds ratio = 4.69, 95% confidence interval [1.14, 19.32], p = .033). Qualitative interviews supported the impact of volunteering at camp on nurses' personal and professional perspective, nursing practice, and delivery of person-centered care. Conclusion: Volunteering at a pediatric oncology camp provided nurses the opportunity to engage with patients, share experiences, and view patients as individuals while still maintaining professional boundaries. Nurses who volunteer at camp described a perspective moving beyond patient-centered to person-centered care, and for some pediatric oncology nurses, camp volunteering may be a novel way to mitigate burnout and an important tool to enhance resiliency.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1532-8457
- Volume :
- 37
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 31738092
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1043454219887671