Compassion FatigueNCT06998602
Student Paramedics' Experiences of Compassion Fatigue: a Phenomenological Mixed-methods Study
An observational study of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout, run by Teesside University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
This study explored how student paramedics experience compassion fatigue - a type of emotional and physical exhaustion that can occur when regularly caring for others in distress. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Paramedical Professional
- How many people
- 7 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 19 Nov 2024to 17 Feb 2025
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Student paramedics enrolled in the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Practice programme at the target University, a higher education institution located in Middlesbrough, UK. Participants were recruited from across multiple year groups, including apprentices, using purposive sampling.
Who may be able to join
- Participants will be eligible if they are a current Student Paramedic, studying at target University and have attended clinical placement.
Who cannot join
- There is no exclusion criteria other than mental capacity.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
This study explored how student paramedics experience compassion fatigue - a type of emotional and physical exhaustion that can occur when regularly caring for others in distress. The researchers wanted to understand how student paramedics feel about compassion fatigue, how it affects their work, and what kind of support might help them cope.
To do this, a group of student paramedics were interviewed about their personal experiences and also asked to complete a short questionnaire called the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL). This questionnaire measured their levels of compassion satisfaction (positive feelings from helping others), burnout (emotional exhaustion), and secondary traumatic stress (stress from exposure to others' trauma).
Read the detailed description
This was a non-interventional, observational, mixed-methods study that used a phenomenological approach to explore student paramedics' experiences and perceptions of compassion fatigue (CF). The study aimed to identify how CF manifests during training, how it affects clinical practice, and which forms of support students believe would be helpful in preventing or managing CF.
Participants were recruited from the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Practice programme at UK University, using purposive, non-probability sampling. Data collection involved two components:
- Semi-structured interviews conducted online via Microsoft Teams to explore participants' lived experiences.
- Completion of the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) questionnaire, which measured Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress.
Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six-step framework. The ProQOL data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential comparisons using both Frequentist and Bayesian analysis, using JASP software. The target sample size was between 3-10. Seven participants completed the study.
Eligible participants were contacted via email by the designated gatekeeper, the course leader. The email outlined that, as student paramedics who had attended clinical placement as part of their course, they were eligible to take part in the study. The email invited them to read the participant information sheet and contact the primary researcher with any questions. Those interested in participating were asked to get in touch to organise receipt of the informed consent form.
Following initial contact, the primary researcher corresponded with interested participants via email to arrange a suitable date and time for the interview. Depending on participant preference, interviews were conducted either on campus or via Microsoft Teams.
- Keywords
- Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Paramedic Students, Qualitative Research, ProQOL, Phenomenology
- Medical subject headings
- Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Psychological, Occupational Stress
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Themes related to student paramedics' experiences of compassion fatigue
Key qualitative themes derived from semi-structured interviews with student paramedics, using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis framework. Themes will reflect participants' lived experiences, perceptions, and coping mechanisms related to compassion fatigue.
Measured: Interviews were completed at a single time point, depending on when the voluntary participant joined the study (between the 19th November 2024 and 13th December 2024).
Secondary outcomes (3)
Compassion Satisfaction score (ProQOL)
Self-reported scores on the Compassion Satisfaction subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), version 5, and questions are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, and raw scores range between 10 to 50. Higher scores indicate greater compassion satisfaction, representing a more favourable outcome.
ProQOL questionnaire, was scored according to the official ProQOL scoring guidelines. The ProQOL is a validated measure with acceptable internal consistency across its subscales, commonly used to assess compassion fatigue and related constructs in healthcare professionals.
Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were calculated. If appropriate, to explore potential sex differences, statistical comparisons were conducted using both Frequentist and Bayesian approaches, with analyses performed in JASP software.
Measured: The questionnaire was completed at a single time point, depending on when the voluntary participant joined the study, post-interview (between the 19th November 2024 and 13th December 2024).
Burnout score (ProQOL)
Self-reported scores on the Burnout subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), Version 5 , and questions are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, and raw scores range between 10 to 50. Higher scores indicate higher levels of burnout, representing a less favourable outcome.
ProQOL questionnaire, was scored according to the official ProQOL scoring guidelines. The ProQOL is a validated measure with acceptable internal consistency across its subscales, commonly used to assess compassion fatigue and related constructs in healthcare professionals.
Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were calculated. If appropriate, to explore potential sex differences, statistical comparisons were conducted using both Frequentist and Bayesian approaches, with analyses performed in JASP software.
Measured: The questionnaire was completed at a single time point, depending on when the voluntary participant joined the study, post-interview (between the 19th November 2024 and 13th December 2024).
Secondary Traumatic Stress score (ProQOL)
Self-reported scores on the Secondary Traumatic Stress subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), Version 5, and questions are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, and raw scores range between 10 to 50. Higher scores indicate greater levels of secondary traumatic stress, representing a less favourable outcome.
ProQOL questionnaire, scored according to the official ProQOL scoring guidelines. The ProQOL is a validated measure with acceptable internal consistency across its subscales, commonly used to assess compassion fatigue and related constructs in healthcare professionals.
Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were calculated. If appropriate, to explore potential sex differences, statistical comparisons were conducted using both Frequentist and Bayesian approaches, with analyses performed in JASP software.
Measured: The questionnaire was completed at a single time point, depending on when the voluntary participant joined the study, post-interview (between the 19th November 2024 and 13th December 2024).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted31 May 2025
- Study start19 Nov 2024
- Primary completion17 Feb 2025
- Study completion17 Feb 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Compassion FatigueStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 7 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Teesside University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jonathan Robinson, Ph.D, Teesside University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06998602
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 24118
- Status last verified
- May 2025
- First submitted
- 20 May 2025
- Last updated
- 4 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Student Paramedics' Experiences of Compassion Fatigue: a Phenomenological Mixed-methods Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06998602
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 24118
- Keywords
- Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Paramedic Students, Qualitative Research, ProQOL, Phenomenology
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 7 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Teesside UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 19 Nov 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 17 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 17 Feb 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 31 May 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study explored how student paramedics experience compassion fatigue - a type of emotional and physical exhaustion that can occur when regularly caring for others in distress. The researchers wanted to understand how student paramedics feel about compassion fatigue, how it affects their work, and what kind of support might help them cope.
To do this, a group of student paramedics were interviewed about their personal experiences and also asked to complete a short questionnaire called the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL). This questionnaire measured their levels of compassion satisfaction (positive feelings from helping others), burnout (emotional exhaustion), and secondary traumatic stress (stress from exposure to others' trauma).
Detailed description
This was a non-interventional, observational, mixed-methods study that used a phenomenological approach to explore student paramedics' experiences and perceptions of compassion fatigue (CF). The study aimed to identify how CF manifests during training, how it affects clinical practice, and which forms of support students believe would be helpful in preventing or managing CF.
Participants were recruited from the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Practice programme at UK University, using purposive, non-probability sampling. Data collection involved two components:
- Semi-structured interviews conducted online via Microsoft Teams to explore participants' lived experiences.
- Completion of the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) questionnaire, which measured Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress.
Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six-step framework. The ProQOL data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential comparisons using both Frequentist and Bayesian analysis, using JASP software. The target sample size was between 3-10. Seven participants completed the study.
Eligible participants were contacted via email by the designated gatekeeper, the course leader. The email outlined that, as student paramedics who had attended clinical placement as part of their course, they were eligible to take part in the study. The email invited them to read the participant information sheet and contact the primary researcher with any questions. Those interested in participating were asked to get in touch to organise receipt of the informed consent form.
Following initial contact, the primary researcher corresponded with interested participants via email to arrange a suitable date and time for the interview. Depending on participant preference, interviews were conducted either on campus or via Microsoft Teams.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Student paramedics enrolled in the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Practice programme at the target University, a higher education institution located in Middlesbrough, UK. Participants were recruited from across multiple year groups, including apprentices, using purposive sampling.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Participants will be eligible if they are a current Student Paramedic, studying at target University and have attended clinical placement.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- There is no exclusion criteria other than mental capacity.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Themes related to student paramedics' experiences of compassion fatigue
Time frame: Interviews were completed at a single time point, depending on when the voluntary participant joined the study (between the 19th November 2024 and 13th December 2024).
Key qualitative themes derived from semi-structured interviews with student paramedics, using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis framework. Themes will reflect participants' lived experiences, perceptions, and coping mechanisms related to compassion fatigue.
3 secondary outcomes
Compassion Satisfaction score (ProQOL)
Time frame: The questionnaire was completed at a single time point, depending on when the voluntary participant joined the study, post-interview (between the 19th November 2024 and 13th December 2024).
Burnout score (ProQOL)
Time frame: The questionnaire was completed at a single time point, depending on when the voluntary participant joined the study, post-interview (between the 19th November 2024 and 13th December 2024).
Secondary Traumatic Stress score (ProQOL)
Time frame: The questionnaire was completed at a single time point, depending on when the voluntary participant joined the study, post-interview (between the 19th November 2024 and 13th December 2024).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Jun 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Compassion Fatigue
Enrolling by invitation
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Mobile-Based Resilience Intervention for Moral Injury, Compassion Fatigue, and Distress in ICU Nurses
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Active, not recruiting
A Pilot Study of RISE for Nurse Managers Retreat
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Not yet recruiting
Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care for Social Work Students During Field Practicum
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Fostering Optimal Regulation of Emotion for Prevention of Secondary Trauma (FOREST)
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout, run by Teesside University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Themes related to student paramedics' experiences of compassion fatigue (time frame: Interviews were completed at a single time point, depending on when the voluntary participant joined the study (between the 19th November 2024 and 13th December 2024).). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Jun 2025.