Predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers providing health and rehabilitation services in rural and remote locations: A scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: A better understanding of the predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers in rural and remote communities is needed to inform preventative interventions for this sector of the health workforce. Objective: To identify predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers providing health and rehabilitation services in rural and remote locations. Design: A scoping review informed by Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage framework and the scoping review protocol of the PRISMA-ScR statement. Findings: The search yielded 946 articles, and 34 full texts were screened for eligibility, leaving 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. No studies on workers providing rehabilitation services were identified. Three studies assessed possible predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers, and all studies evaluated burnout. The most studied predictor variables were age, gender, profession and workload. Discussion: This study identified potential risk and protective factors for health care workers that are likely relevant to those providing rehabilitation services in rural locations. Little is known about possible predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in professionals working in rural and remote areas outside of medicine and nursing or health care workers in rural community-based settings. Conclusion: Research examining predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in rehabilitation health care workers working in rural and remote locations is scant. Research that identifies risk and protective factors in this rapidly growing sector of the health care workforce is needed to inform the development of interventions that promote professional quality of life.