Weathering the Storm: Professional Quality of Life in Acute Care Physical Therapy Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed hospital systems. Frontline workers, including physical therapists, experienced multiple challenges impacting job satisfaction. The Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) measures constructs related to workplace quality of life.

Purpose: To describe levels of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue (consisting of burnout and secondary trauma) among a similar cohort of acute care physical therapy staff prior to and approximately 1 year into the pandemic.

Methods: Cross-sectional online survey methodology using the ProQOL was completed. A convenience sample of acute care physical therapy professionals employed at a large Midwestern academic medical center was surveyed at separate time points in 2018 (prepandemic) and 2021 (pandemic).

Results: A total of 54 (2018) and 53 (2021) acute care physical therapy professionals completed the survey. Overall, respondents reported moderate to high levels of compassion satisfaction with low to moderate levels of burnout and secondary trauma at both periods, consistent with other previously reported health care professionals. However, the respondents exhibited a shift toward worsening compassion fatigue, with increasing levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress, and a decreased level of compassion satisfaction.

Conclusions: Describing the professional quality of life in a cohort of acute care physical therapy professionals before and during the pandemic provides a foundation of further understanding burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Future studies could be completed longitudinally to track changes in acute care physical therapy staff and explore effective support strategies.