Date of Conferral

8-14-2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Theresa Parenteau

Abstract

I created this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project as a staff education initiative to inform emergency department (ED) nurses about the emotional toll of caring for patients in distress. This condition, known as compassion fatigue (CF), is characterized by emotional exhaustion from ongoing exposure to trauma and can lead to increased stress, reduced job satisfaction, and a decline in care quality. A gap in staff support and coping strategies was identified among frontline nurses in a large, urban healthcare environment. I developed the project to increase nurses’ knowledge and self-awareness of CF through an evidence-based educational session. The guiding question asked whether such an intervention could improve staff understanding and promote the use of personal and institutional coping resources. A pre-/posttest design was used with registered nurses (N = 31) participating in a brief anonymous assessment before and after attending the session. The educational content included definitions, risk factors, symptoms, and strategies for prevention. I analyzed the participants’ scores using descriptive statistics. Post implementation results showed that participants had an 87% prior awareness of CF, and 94% intended to apply the strategies learned in the educational session. With knowledge pretest mean score mean of 4.3, and the posttest mean score of 8.2. The project demonstrated that education increases nurses’ knowledge of CF and strengthens emotional resilience. These findings support the idea that education can enhance nurses’ well-being and job performance. As a result, the intervention may contribute to a healthier work culture, promote positive social change in how nurses are supported, and foster more inclusive care that addresses the emotional needs of all healthcare professionals.

Download

Share

 
COinS