Fatigue due to compassion in health professionals and coping strategies: a scoping review

Abstract

Objectives: to identify the current state of knowledge on compassion fatigue in the work context of healthcare professionals; and how coping strategies are established in this scenario.

Method: a scoping review with search applied to the databases: MEDLINE, LILACS, CINAHL, Scopus. Temporal limit: 2009 to 2019. The data was analyzed and synthesized in narrative form.

Results: thirty articles were selected, synthesized into two categories: a) Health work and compassion fatigue: conceptual analysis, context, and manifestations; b) Coping strategies for compassion fatigue.

Conclusions: this study presented: a descriptive and general panorama about compassion fatigue in healthcare professionals, identifying a greater consolidation of the concept between 2015 and 2018; and some coping strategies. The association between health and spirituality is highlighted as one of the strategies in this scenario, enabling new research to be conducted in view of the importance of the theme in life, health work.