Negative Consequences of Providing Nursing Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Riko Sano; Rachel F Schiffman; Kotaro Shoji; Kathleen J Sawin

doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2018.08.004

Negative Consequences of Providing Nursing Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Nurs Outlook. 2018 Nov;66(6):576-585. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2018.08.004. Epub 2018 Aug 29.

Authors

Riko Sano¹, Rachel F Schiffman², Kotaro Shoji³, Kathleen J Sawin⁴

Affiliations

¹ Trauma, Health, and Hazards Center, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO; College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI. Electronic address: [email protected].
² College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Trauma, Health, and Hazards Center, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI; Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 30509404
DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2018.08.004

Abstract

Background: Compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout are negative consequences of providing nursing care among nurses.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study examined a model of negative consequences of providing nursing care (i.e., compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Methods: Data were collected from 174 registered nurses in the level III and IV NICUs in a Midwestern state. Moderated mediation analysis was conducted.

Findings: Self-compassion mediated the relationship between strength of the nurse-infant/family relationship and the negative consequences only when the nurse-physician-collegiality was high. There was no such relationship when the level was low.

Discussion: The study findings support the model of a mechanism for the development of negative consequences, involving self-compassion and nurse-physician collegiality.

Conclusions: The findings may be applied to development of interventions to address negative consequences in nurses and help nursing administrators reduce staff nurses' negative consequences.

Keywords: burnout; compassion fatigue; moderated mediation; neonatal intensive care unit; secondary traumatic stress.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Colorado
Compassion Fatigue / psychology*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Gestational Age
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal*
Male
Middle Aged
Nursing Staff, Hospital / psychology*
Physician-Nurse Relations*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult