Keywords

compassion fatigue, organizational interventions, secondary traumatic stress, signs and symptoms, vicarious trauma

 

Authors

  1. White, Dawn MHS, BScN, Reg N, CPMHN (C)

Abstract

Vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress all have negative costs associated with them that managers of health care agencies need to know about. This article describes the causes and effects of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress on frontline staff. It also examines the negative impact on the functioning of an organization and suggests some intervention strategies that leadership might utilize to mitigate these negative factors.