2016 Theses Doctoral

The Use and Role of Narrative Practices to Mitigate Compassion Fatigue among Expatriate Health Workers during the Ebola Outbreak of 2013-2016

Cunningham, Tim

This dissertation is made up of three distinct parts: 1) A comprehensive, structured literature review 2) a mixed-methods descriptive study and 3) an inductive thematic qualitative analysis. The objective of this dissertation is to explore the concepts of compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout as they relate to the practices of narrative medicine among expatriate humanitarian aid workers. Data collected for this research focuses on expatriate healthcare workers who provided direct patient care during the 2013-2016 Ebola response in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Findings from these studies support the growing body of evidence and discussion regarding psychosocial support of healthcare workers in humanitarian contexts. To the extent that global health is public health (Fried, 2010), results from this dissertation will contribute guidance in the understanding and management of aid workers in contexts beyond the Ebola response.