An exploratory case study of educators' experiences with COVID-19: compassion fatigue as an unintended consequence of a global pandemic

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative case study analyzed educator perceptions and experiences with compassion fatigue during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The researcher explored educators’ experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic, educator responsibilities during the pandemic, to what extent educators experienced compassion fatigue, and educator perceptions of what was needed to support them from these experiences. In this study, 15 general education teachers and five administrators were interviewed utilizing semi-structured interview protocols with data analyzed utilizing NVivo. It was found that secondary traumatic stress (STS) or compassion fatigue (CF) were experienced by participants and can have a major role to play in educators’ well-being and effectiveness. The pandemic compounded the difficulties educators faced on a daily basis. The findings also revealed that educators experienced a lack of work-life balance, decline in health, and new professional challenges during the pandemic. As a result, educators felt helpless, apathetic, and emotionally and physically exhausted. Therefore, the findings indicate that participants in this study experienced elements of compassion fatigue during the COVID-19 Pandemic.