Describing compassion fatigue of the informal caregivers of children with cancer

Aim: The aim of this study is to describe to states of compassion fatigue of the informal caregivers of children with cancer. Methods: The study was included 20 people who are providing care to children with cancer. Semi-structured interview form was applied with participants by in-depth interviewing. Data were coded with MAXQDA and analyzed by thematic analysis. Findings: In interviews, found that participants who are caregiving for the children with cancer has an empathic attitude towards their children that they were exposed to their children's traumatic experiences. Involved in the causal model of compassion fatigue exposure to the child, prolonged exposure, degree of life disruptions, and traumatic memories observed that negatively affected to the caregivers. Some components were determined that non-protective for caregivers, so they described as risk factors. Compassion stress, sense of achievement, and disengagement had not impact remedial to caregivers and had made caregivers vulnerable against compassion fatigue. Conclution: This thesis determined that caregivers of the children with cancer were empathically approached to traumatic experiences of the children. The problems faced by the participants in the family life, in the health institution and the social relations, and the negative effects of the care-related problems on the coping strategies have revealed caregivers to experience compassion stress. Due to the lack of eleminating negative conditions and lack of supportive mechanisms, compassion stress experienced by the caregivers have gradually transformed into burnout, care burden and compassion fatigue. Concluded that the participants have experienced almost all of the symptoms of compassion fatigue.