Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Kelly Hoskins

Second Advisor

Dr. Thomas J. Gollery

Third Advisor

Dr. Kelly Wedley

Abstract

The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to determine the relationship between empathy, compassion fatigue (CF), and resilience in firefighters and EMS personnel. Career firefighters and EMS personnel (N = 76) in Central Florida participated in an online survey that included demographic information, the Empathy Assessment Index, Professional Quality of Life Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10. Participants reported high perceptions of empathy (M = 4.11), resilience (M = 3.98), and quality of life (M = 3.28), but CF was perceived at low levels (M = 2.97). Empathy was not predictive of CF, indicating that overall empathy alone does not account for variance in CF. Resilience, however, was predictive of CF, with resilience accounting for 12.23% of the variance in CF.

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