Evaluación de la fatiga por compasión en dos contextos asistenciales de alta demanda emocional.

Abstract

Introduction: Compassion satisfaction contributes to the well-being of healthcare professionals, while compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress constitute a psychosocial risk in areas with a high emotional burden, such as palliative care and critical care. Objective: To compare the levels of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among healthcare personnel working in the palliative care and critical care units at the SOLCA Guayaquil Oncology Hospital, using the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Methods: An observational, prospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive study of 188 healthcare professionals. Data collection was performed using the ProQOL scale. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS V25 using descriptive and inferential statistics, considering a p-value <0.05 as statistically significant. Results: The average age of the participants was 33.9±6.43 years, with a female predominance (62.2%). Palliative care professionals presented significantly higher levels of compassion satisfaction compared to those in critical care (p=0.001). Secondary traumatic stress showed significant differences between both groups (p=0.016), whereas burnout did not (p=0.379). Female sex and specific training in palliative care were associated with higher levels of compassion satisfaction. Conclusions: The clinical care context of the study participants influences their quality of life. Palliative care professionals demonstrated higher levels of compassion satisfaction, while those in critical care showed a lower perception of professional gratification. The implementation of institutional strategies aimed at strengthening self-care, specialized training, and preventing emotional exhaustion is required.