Outline
- Feature Image – Professional Quality of Life - Hierarchy
- Requirements & Charter Information
- Development Stream
- Results Up Front For
- ProQOL Applies to these Professions
- ProQOL - Strengths-based Measures Tool
- Define Metric & Metrics
- Related - Vicarious Trauma
- Elements of Quality of Life
- Brand New Day (BND) – Quality Of Life (QOL) – Specification
- Professional Quality Of Life (ProQOL) – Lesson Plan-02
- Specification - Stamm (2009) – Professional Quality Of Life (ProQOL)
- Table - Quality Of Life Related Assessments – COTS Origin
- Professional Quality of Life Elements Theory
- Quick Score Method (Predictive)
- Assessment Cluster – Quality of Life (QOL)
- Special Topic – Separatism – Double Standard
- Compare BND QOL with ProQOL
- ProQOL History – Structured Temporal Reconciliation (STR)
- Matrix - Helpers ProQOL – Predictions
- ProQOL Sub-scores and Legend
- The ProQOL 5 Self-Score - Professional Quality of Life
- Content Area Literacy – Professional Quality of Life
- 2016 – Matrix - Snapshot Presentation
- 20210828-SAT: Moving from Raw Score to Percent
- 2016 Versus 2018 - Matrix – ProQOL Sub-scores for KE Torkelson, MS
- Apply to Another
- Apply to Another
- Retirement
Development Stream
20170822-TU-Forwarded
20180714-SAT-Brought Forward
20181119-M to 20181120TU-At M6ONA
20181121-W-Split
20190713-SAT-Forwarded
20210828-SAT-Forwarded
20220129-SAT-Forwarded
20230704-TU-Forwarded
2024-?-Burned Out
20250402-W-Forwarded
20250412-SA-Print Original
20250628-SA-In association with HSB
Results Up Front For:
Vocabulary
Metric
Metrics are methods of measuring something, or the results obtained from such measurements.
ProQOL Applies to these Professions
The Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) applies broadly to any helper or caregiver working in a professional or volunteer context who supports individuals experiencing trauma, pain, or hardship.
Covered Professions and Roles
Healthcare Professionals:
Nurses, doctors, therapists, counselors, mental health workers, physiotherapists, and clinical staff.
Social and Human Services:
Social workers, case managers, and staff at human rights or relief organizations.
Emergency and Disaster Response:
Paramedics, firefighters, police officers, and crisis response teams.
Education:
Teachers, school administrators, and support staff.
Legal and Advocacy:
Attorneys, legal aid workers, and public defenders.
Clergy and Spiritual Care:
Chaplains, priests, pastors, and community faith leaders.
Animal Care Helpers:
Veterinarians and animal shelter or rescue workers.
The tool evaluates both paid staff and volunteers across any occupation involving emotional labor or direct/indirect exposure to stressful and traumatic events. You can learn more or complete the assessment on the ProQOL Website.
ProQOL - Strengths-based Measures Tool
Why take the ProQOL?
You take the ProQOL (Professional Quality of Life Scale) to measure the positive and negative impacts of working in a helping or caregiving profession.
Key Reasons to Take the ProQOL
Screen for Compassion Fatigue:
It detects early signs of Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress before they become severe.
Measure Compassion Satisfaction:
Unlike standard stress tests, it captures the joy, pleasure, and sense of accomplishment you get from doing your job well.
Monitor Personal Wellbeing:
Taking the 30-item self-report questionnaire helps you track your emotional health over time and decide when to adjust our self-care routine.
Guide Supervision and Support:
Teams and organizations use aggregate results to plan staff support, improve workplace resilience, and guide training.
What the ProQOL Measures
The tool breaks down your score into three distinct 10-item subscales (rated over the last 30 days):
Compassion Satisfaction:
Positive feelings about your ability to be effective and help others.
Burnout: Feelings of emotional exhaustion, frustration, and hopelessness tied to your workload or system stress.
Secondary Traumatic Stress:
Work-related fear, trauma, or distress resulting from secondary exposure to client or patient trauma.
Note: The ProQOL is a self-reflection and screening instrument, not a formal medical diagnosis.
Aside: Renewed Interest
Related to Ahnika
Related to AgPrisma
Define Metric & Metrics
A metric is a quantifiable standard, rule, or function used to measure, evaluate, or track a specific characteristic, performance, or distance. Metrics (the plural form) are the collection of data points, numbers, or calculated values used to provide insight into a system, process, business activity, or project over time.
Core Meanings & Contexts
Business & Analytics:
A metric is a calculated value (such as conversion rate, profit margin, or churn rate) derived from raw data measures to track progress or performance.
Mathematics & Geometry:
A metric is a function that defines the distance between two points in a metric space.
Measurement Systems:
"Metric" also refers to the decimal system of measurement based on the meter, liter, and kilogram.
Poetry & Music:
"Metric" relates to the rhythmic structure of verse or song.
Key Differences:
Measure vs. Metric
Measure:
A raw, foundational, uncalculated data point (e.g., total website visitors, raw dollars, or single sensor readings).
Metric:
A processed, calculated output that adds context, ratios, averages, or timeframes to measures (e.g., bounce rate, sales growth rate, or average session duration).
Learn more about technical frameworks through the NIST Metrics and Measures Guidelines.
Related - Vicarious Trauma
Vicarious trauma is not a formal standalone diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), instead, chronic indirect exposure to trauma can meet criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Secondary Traumatic Stress.
Clinicians evaluate and diagnose the impact of vicarious trauma by assessing symptom overlap with PTSD and using specialized screening instruments.
How Clinicians Evaluate It
Clinical Interview & History:
A mental health professional assesses a history of chronic, secondhand, or empathetic exposure to other people's traumatic events (common in therapists, social workers, medical staff, and first responders).
Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS):
A self-report or clinical tool frequently used to measure intrusion, avoidance, and arousal symptoms stemming from secondary exposure. [1]
DSM-5 PTSD Criteria:
Under current criteria, repeated or extreme indirect exposure to aversive details of traumatic events (excluding media exposure unless work-related) can satisfy the trauma-exposure requirement for a PTSD diagnosis if accompanied by intrusion, negative mood/cognitions, avoidance, and arousal alterations.
Common Symptom Clusters Evaluated
Intrusion: Unwanted distressing memories, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts regarding a client's or patient's trauma.
Avoidance:
Withdrawing from friends, family, or work tasks; emotional numbing; or feeling detached from others.
Cognitive & Worldview Shifts:
Loss of meaning, persistent cynicism, heightened distrust, or viewing the world as inherently dangerous.
Physical & Arousal Signs:
Hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, and physical tension.
FYI – SI - If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, I can help you find local mental health resources or guide you on how to prepare for a consultation with a licensed trauma therapist.
In House > Metadata >
Assess_ProQOL_18080601_COTS_Tool
Purpose
The purpose of this study is personal. We hope to improve our compassion satisfaction while decreasing our burnout and vicarious trauma.
Elements of Quality of Life
- Driving
- Assessment Specification
- Family
- Harmony
- Health
- Life-long-learning
- Literacy
- Medication
- Peace
- Physical Fitness
- Purpose
- Roommate
- Resources
- Sleep
- Walking
Brand New Day (BND) – Quality Of Life (QOL) - Specification
Professional Quality Of Life (ProQOL) – Lesson Plan-02
Authored by Keith Torkelson & AVEY (201811)
https://ktork46.blogspot.com/2018/11/quality-of-life-qol-unit-professional.html
20210418-SU: Page Views = 58:
20261018-SU: Page Views = 103:
Details about Publication
Specification - Stamm (2009) – Professional Quality Of Life (ProQOL)
How we ran across the ProQOL Metric
20141022:
We first made contact with the ProQOL at the COE Spirituality Conference (2014). The group or presentation was call: Vicarious Trauma Group. They had a handout of the ProQOL (2009) yet it was incomplete. The complete ProQOL contains 3 pages.
Evidence for Double Standard
The questions on a standard QOL assessment differ considerably from those on the ProQOL. Standard assessments center about Basic QOL while the ProQOL centers on a Working QOL.
Change Management
2014_10_22: ProQOL first obtained at the COE Spirituality Conference (2014)
In House > Metadata >
From - Assess_QOL_Cluster_18090701_Index
Table - Quality Of Life Related Assessments – COTS Origin
Elimination List - QOL Cluster
(*) CMS fails to send us our scores back
Vocabulary
- Compassion Satisfaction
- Compassion Fatigue
- Burnout
- Secondary Traumatic Stress
- Vicarious Traumatization
- Vicarious Transformation
FYI - The Center for Victims of Torture
Professional Quality of Life Elements Theory
The Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) theory and measurement—developed by Dr. Beth Hudnall Stamm—evaluates the positive and negative effects of working as a helper or responder for people who have experienced suffering and trauma.
You can access the official instrument and guidance directly on the ProQOL Website.
Core Theoretical Elements
The ProQOL model breaks professional quality of life down into two main domains: Compassion Satisfaction (positive) and Compassion Fatigue (negative, which splits into Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress).
Compassion Satisfaction (CS):
The pleasure, joy, and sense of accomplishment you get from doing your work well. Derived from feeling effective at work, liking your colleagues, and believing your job has positive societal value.
Burnout (BO):
A negative state characterized by feelings of hopelessness, frustration, exhaustion, and poor-fitting workload.
Driven primarily by organizational and environmental stressors (e.g., heavy caseloads, administrative burden, lack of support, or low pay).
Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS):
A work-related, secondary exposure to extremely stressful or traumatic events experienced by the people you help. Manifests as rapid onset fear, intrusive thoughts, hyperarousal, or avoidance behaviors similar to post-traumatic stress.
ProQOL = Professional Quality of Life
Results for Keith “Buster” Torkelson MS
Compare with 2016
In House > Metadata >
From: Assess_ProQOL_16031203_Results V2023
Note: Saturday is Buster’s Quality of Life day of the week
Vicarious Transformation
Vicarious transformation is an ongoing, intentional process that results in a deepened sense of connection with others, a greater appreciation in one's life, and a greater sense of meaning and hope.
Assessment Cluster – Quality of Life (QOL)
All Classified as Welfare Indicators or Indicators of Welfare
BND = Brand New Day | HCA = Health Care Agency
In House > Metadata >
Assess_QOL_AFA_Agent_Fortune_18100601_Develop
In House > Lesson Plan > Metadata >
Assess_ProQOL_Lesson-02_18112101_Framework V2026
Special Topic – Separatism – Double Standard
Separatism is the advocacy or practice of separation of a certain group of people from a larger body on the basis of Job title. The BND assessment varies greatly from the ProQOL. This indicates that professionals have a superior QOL than do consumers of behavioral health services.
Aside > In House > Metadata >
06_CSUFLessonPlanTemplate V2018 ProQOL
ProQOL Comments
More on Double Standard
A rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups. A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for similar situations. It is most commonly seen as a decisive psychological tool used to defend one’s ego or subconscious from the shortcomings of one’s own set of values or contrasting principles
Compare BND QOL with ProQOL
Brand New Day Quality of Life Self-Assessment – 15 Items (There are two number 11s)
FYI - In House > Metadata >
Assess_QOL_BND_Version_18070703_Actual Tool
Assess_ProQOL_Scorer_16030304_For-2015 MAR
Assess_ProQOL_Scorer_16030304_Template
Assess_ProQOL_Scorer_16030306_For-2016 MAR
Assess_ProQOL_Scorer_16080403 2016 4 Gibbs
Assess_ProQOL_Scorer_17100701 2017 4 CDM
Assess_ProQOL_Scorer_18071401_For-2018 JULY
ProQOL History – Structured Temporal Reconciliation (STR)
STR Scoring Ledger
Centered about Keith “Buster” Torkelson
Matrix - Helpers ProQOL – Predictions
Date Scored: 20181116-F by Keith Torkelson
Compassion Satisfaction (CS): Burnout (BO): Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS): Quick Grade Method (QGM)
In House > Metadata >
07_Assess_QOL_Cluster_15060604_Refs v2016
20171007-SA: Tom perplexes us
The ProQOL 5 Self-Score - Professional Quality of Life
Professional Quality of Life: [MEASURES]
Compassion, Satisfaction and Fatigue Version 5 (ProQOL)
Promotion > Good Site
“This test may be freely...used”
Metadata - Page
Assess_ProQOL_Scorer_16080403 2016 4 Gibbs
08_LS_Profile_Gibbs_16070601_Intro
Content Area Literacy – Professional Quality of Life
What is compassion satisfaction?
ProQOL Compassion Satisfaction
Compassion Satisfaction
Compassion satisfaction is about the pleasure you derive from being able to do your work. For example, you may feel like it is a pleasure to help others through what you do at work. You may feel positively about your colleagues or your ability to contribute to the work setting or even the greater good of society through your work with people who need care. On the other side of compassion satisfaction can be Compassion Fatigue is the negative aspect of helping those who experience traumatic stress and suffering.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is characterized by feeling emotionally depleted or drained and can result after a period of long-term, work related stress. There are three key aspects to burnout which you may experience in varying degrees.
- Emotional exhaustion
- Feeling that your personal energy is gone or depleted
- Depersonalization and cynicism
- Feeling detached from your work, including a loss of motivation or interest
- Feelings of inefficacy
- Feeling helpless or hopeless about your work and a sense of failure to reach your personal work-related goals
What is compassion fatigue?
Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue is the negative aspect of our work as helpers. There are two parts. The first part concerns things such as exhaustion, frustration, anger and depression typical of burnout.
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Secondary Traumatic Stress is a negative feeling driven by fear and work-related trauma. It is important to remember that some trauma at work can be direct (primary) trauma. In other cases, work-related trauma may be a combination of both primary and secondary trauma. Compassion fatigue is the negative aspect of helping those who experience traumatic stress and suffering. Compassion Satisfaction is the positive aspect of helping.
What is Secondary Trauma?
Secondary trauma—also known as secondary traumatic stress (STS) or compassion fatigue—is a psychological condition where a person develops PTSD-like symptoms after indirect exposure to another person’s traumatic experience. It happens when you hear about, witness, or consistently support someone dealing with severe emotional or physical pain rather than experiencing the event yourself.
2016 – Matrix - Snapshot Presentation
Assessment - B. Hudnall Stamm, 2009-2012
Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL)
All Measurements in Real Time (RT) | InterP = Interpretation (Liberal)
HSF = High Score is Favorable | LSF = Low Score is Favorable
Corrected: 20210828-SAT: Last Reviewed: 20261018-SU:
Spreadsheet Scorer > Metadata >
Assess_ProQOL_Scorer_16030306_For-2016 MAR
(*) It has a very liberal interpretation scheme
Notes
- ProQOL
- Owner/Author: B. Hudnall Stamm
- Polarity: Minimal Polarity (Negative Scoring) Issues
- Transformation: Moderately Difficult
- Trend: Positive (Strengths-based)
- Slope (m) 2016 to 2018: Slight Positive
Note: This qualifies as a Longitudinal Assessment with 10 Items per Sub-score and total of 30 Items.
In House > Metadata >
Assess_ProQOL_Scorer_18071401_For-2018 JULY
2016 Versus 2018 - Matrix – ProQOL Sub-scores for Keith E Torkelson, MS
Two Points in Time
BO=Burn Out | CS=Compassion Satisfaction | DOW = Day of Week | RT=Real Time | STS=Secondary Traumatic Stress | SUBSC=Sub-scale
Is Compassion Satisfaction a Good Thing?
Yes, compassion satisfaction is generally considered a positive and desirable outcome. It refers to the pleasure and fulfillment derived from helping others and making a positive impact, which can lead to increased resilience and overall well-being. It's the positive flip side of compassion fatigue, a concept that describes the emotional and physical exhaustion that can result from prolonged exposure to suffering.
2016 Versus 2018 - Matrix – ProQOL Sub-scores for Keith E Torkelson, MS
Two Points in Time
BO=Burn Out | CS=Compassion Satisfaction | DOW = Day of Week | RT=Real Time | STS=Secondary Traumatic Stress | SUBSC=Sub-scale
2016 Versus 2018 - Matrix – ProQOL Sub-scores for Keith E Torkelson, MS
Two Points in Time
BO=Burn Out | CS=Compassion Satisfaction | DOW = Day of Week | RT=Real Time | STS=Secondary Traumatic Stress | SUBSC=Sub-scale
Scores for Keith E Torkelson, MS
Breakdown of Sub-scores
Interpretation = InterP: What is my score and what does it mean?
In this section, you will score your test so you understand the interpretation (InterP) for you. To find your score on each section, total the questions listed on the left and then find your score in the interpretation table on the right of the section.
Scores for Keith E Torkelson, MS
Matrix - Subscale – ProQOL Compassion Satisfaction – 10 of 30 Items
Scores for Keith E Torkelson, MS
Matrix - Subscale – ProQOL – Burnout
Burnout Sub-Scale – 10 of 30 Items
Last Reviewed: 20181116-F: | RT = Real Time
Matrix - Subscale – ProQOL – 30 Items
Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) – Sub-Scale - 10 of 30 Items
Scores for Keith E Torkelson, MS – Last Reviewed: 20181116-F
Apply to Another
Matrix – ProQOL Sub-scores for Jeff Gibbs, MA – All Scored 20160804-TH: Predictions
Apply to Another
Predicted his early retirement
Scorer = Keith Torkelson MS for CDM
AVG = Average | HSF = High Scores are Favorable | LSF = Low Scores are Favorable
Retirement
These are the ProQOL scores for Chester D Mojica, MD (CDM) at the time (2016) our Primary Care Physician. All were scored on 20160804 (TH). From these scores we predicted his early retirement. Note in 2021 CDM retired early from his position at Central City Community Health Center. He was approximately 60 years old.
Objective @ the End
Family Medicine | 35+ years of experience
https://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-chester-mojica-327lc
2.5 Star Rating - Based on 17 reviews
