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DNP Project Critique

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Introduction

Michelle Rampersad's DNP project in 2023 explored whether oncology nurses

experience compassion fatigue and whether there was any link between compassion fatigue and

one's health. The author found a gap in the literature examining physical manifestations of

compassion fatigue in this population. The project used Pender's health promotion model (Rojas-

Torres et al, 2025) and included quantitative data collection as well as qualitative interviews.

This paper will evaluate how Rampersad was successful in employing the qualitative and

quantitative aspects of the project to investigate the practice question.

Quantitative Methods

Rampersad collected quantitative data from 55 oncology nurses by using three

instruments through an online tool called Survey Monkey. As part of the study, participants

completed a demographics form, Professional Quality of Life 5, and Giessen Subjective

Complaints. ProQOL-5 has established evidence to support three constructs of compassion

fatigue: burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Giessen was used to

specifically assess physical health complaints related to various body systems (Rampersad,

2023). This design enabled the researcher to explore the statistical relationship between the

psychological constructs of compassion fatigue and the physical health symptom measures.

Analysis conducted using Pearson's correlation determined the following. The occurrence

of burnout had a positive association with exhaustion complaints at a statistically significant

level p = 0.000. Additionally, burnout occurrence also had a positive association with

musculoskeletal system related complaints, statistically significant at p = 0.036. Secondary

traumatic stress had statistically significant associations with all physical health complaints and
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were even more substantial than burnout. Specifically, the first dimension positively related to

exhaustion complaints p = 0.000, gastrointestinal distress p = 0.022, and cardiovascular distress p

= 0.007 (Rampersad, 2023). The results supported that levels of compassion fatigue were related

to levels of physical health complaints for the group of oncology nurses.

The correlation strengths were variable, with exhaustion exhibiting the highest

correlation in both burnout and secondary traumatic stress. All correlation coefficients were

statistically significant, indicating that the observable patterns were not simply by coincidence.

The quantitative results were straightforward in answering the second part of the practice

question and clearly revealed a correlation between the measurements of compassion fatigue and

the selected health symptoms (Rampersad, 2023). The findings also aligned with those of

Ondrejková and Halamová (2022) and revealed the physiological manifestation of compassion

fatigue in relationship to the body systems that were affected rather than only the psychological

manifestation.

Qualitative Methods

The qualitative component of the project involved 15 oncology nurses who expressed

interest in the Project by completing an open-ended questionnaire in the form of another Survey

Monkey link. These 15 oncology nurses expressed an interest in sharing their personal

experiences of compassion fatigue, as well as their perceived impact of compassion fatigue on

their personal health (Rampersad, 2023). Throughout the qualitative component, the

investigators were able to capture not only numerical data, but also nuanced ideas and personal

perspectives.
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Following an analysis of the qualitative data nine themes were generated. Two of the

themes included fatigue and feeling overwhelmed. Fatigue was indicated by the nurses as a

persistent state of being, distinct from the fatigue associated with shift work. The nurses also

indicated what they meant by feeling overwhelmed in that they did not feel equipped to respond

to the emotional demands being placed on them. While these themes were identified as themes of

the quantitative data, the qualitative data offered richer description and explanation of what the

quantitative data indicated as exhaustion. For example, the caregivers working with dying

patients stated that their emotional reserves felt depleted.

In relation to the first half of the practice focused question, the qualitative findings

discovered that, yes, oncology nurses indeed experienced compassion fatigue (Rampersad,

2023). Their ability to recognize their symptoms, along with the awareness of their context

contributing to their perceptions of compassion fatigue, provided further evidence of the

existence of compassion fatigue. Their perceptions were not about external entities, but self-

perception.

Connection to Practice-Focused Question

The practice-based research question related to whether oncology nurses perceived

compassion fatigue, and whether any correlation patterns emerged between compassion fatigue

and health complaints. Rampersad's mixed-methodological design was helpful in providing a

complete response to both parts of the question employing a variety of perspectives. The

quantitative data allowed the creation of measurable patterns between compassion fatigue factors

and health complaints, while the qualitative part offered insights related to their perceptions.
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The qualitative data justified the perception that the nursing professionals understand the

concept of compassion fatigue in their line of work. The analysis determined themes such as

feelings of overwhelm and fatigue, which validated that the nursing professionals were capable

of recognizing the psychological effects of working in oncology (Rampersad, 2023). The

awareness was further validated in quantitative data in which 55 nursing professionals reported

burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue on the ProQOL-5 scale.

Correlation analysis addressed the second half of the research problem, confirming

evidence of statistical relationships between compassion fatigue and health issues. Qualitative

information provided context for the quantitative measure of compassion fatigue; specifically,

the nurses’ views on fatigue provided quantitative evidence concerning the degree of

understanding of burnout, while their perspectives about feeling overwhelmed reflected a

relationship to cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health problems. Collectively, this confirmed

the existence of physical side effects attributed to compassion fatigue.

Conclusion

Rampersad's DNP study was successful in establishing that oncology nurses perceive

compassion fatigue and report associated health complaints. From the quantitative data, there

were also associated statistical patterns with physical symptoms of fatigue, musculoskeletal

aches and pains, gastrointestinal distress, and cardiovascular signs with emotional symptoms

such as burnouts and primary and secondary trauma. Lastly, the qualitative data was helpful in

showcasing that compassion fatigue is a recognized phenomenon that many oncology nurses

experience.
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References

Ondrejková, N., & Halamová, J. (2022). Qualitative analysis of compassion fatigue and coping

strategies among nurses. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 9(4), 467- 480.

[Link]

Rampersad, M. (2023). Oncology Nurses, Compassion Fatigue and General Health: A Mixed-

Methods Study. ScholarWorks. [Link]

Rojas-Torres, I. L., Garizábalo, C. M., Keidis, S. Ruidíaz Gómez, Fernández, S. P., Perea-Rojas,

D. M., Rodelo, M., & Liñán, N. I. (2025). Effectiveness of Nola Pender’s Health

Promotion Model: A Comprehensive Approach for Enhancing Healthy Behaviors and

Quality of Life in Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public

Health, 22(10), 1506. [Link]