Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 48, No. 2 - 81

faction: t (219) = 2.5, p = .01; burnout: t (219) = 2.8, p = .01; and secondary traumatic
stress: t (219) = 3.3, p = .00.
These results show that RAs had lower compassion satisfaction (M = 38.5,
SD = 6.1) at the end of the semester than at the beginning (M = 40.6, SD = 5.9). Based
on the interpretation guide of the ProQOL manual (Stamm, 2010), compassion satisfaction
is about the feeling of pleasure one gets when helping others through one's
work. A score between 23 and 41 indicates a moderate level of compassion satisfaction.
As shown in Table 3 (see page 82), even though RAs' post-test scores were lower
than those for the pre-test, they still had moderate levels of compassion satisfaction.
Resident assistants' level of burnout (M = 23.1, SD = 5.2) and secondary traumatic
stress (M = 20.8, SD = 6.3) were reduced compared to levels at the beginning of
the spring semester: burnout (M = 25.4, SD = 6.6) and secondary traumatic stress
(M = 24.0, SD = 7.9). The RAs' level of burnout was reduced, but they still had a moderate
level (between 23 and 41). Burnout is connected to the feeling of hopelessness and
difficulties in dealing with one's job effectively (Stamm, 2010). These results show that
RAs had positive feelings about their ability to be effective in their job. At the beginning
of the semester, RAs' mean scores for secondary traumatic stress were at a moderate
level (between 23 and 41), but by the end of the semester, they were low (22 or less).
Secondary traumatic stress relates to the feeling of exposure to extremely stressful
events (Stamm, 2010), and these results indicate that the level of secondary traumatic
stress in RAs decreased throughout the semester.
Table 4 (see page 83) shows the difference in the mean ProQOL score by residence
hall types pre- and post-test. It indicates that RAs had lower compassion satisfaction,
burnout, and secondary traumatic stress at the end of the semester than at the beginning
regardless of types of residence hall.
These results show that RAs had lower compassion satisfaction at the end of the
semester (High Rise: M = 38.5, SD = 6.1; Low Rise: M = 39.0, SD = 5.7; Suite: M = 38.6,
SD = 4.2) than at the beginning (High Rise: M = 40.5, SD = 6.9; Low Rise: M = 40.8,
SD = 5.5; Suite: M = 39.4, SD = 4.7) regardless of their assigned building. Based on
the interpretation guide of the ProQOL manual (Stamm, 2010), RAs had a moderate
level of compassion satisfaction in both the pre- and post-test. Also, they had a lower
burnout level at the end of the semester (High Rise: M = 22.2, SD = 4.7; Low Rise:
M = 23.8, SD = 5.2; Suite: M = 22.4, SD = 6.0) than at the beginning (High Rise:
M = 24.9, SD = 5.4; Low Rise: M = 25.8, SD = 7.4; Suite: M = 22.5, SD = 3.8) regardless
of assigned building type. A score below 23 reflects positive feelings about their work.
Scores on the secondary traumatic stress sub-scale are low regardless of the type of
residence hall at the end of the semester.
To examine these mean differences, groups labeled as pre-H.R (ProQOL
pre-test and high-rise building type), pre-L.R (ProQOL pre-test and low-rise
building type), pre-Suite (ProQOL pre-test and suite building type), post-H.R
(ProQOL post-test and high-rise building type), post-L.R (ProQOL post-test and
Volume 48, No. 2 * 2022 81
Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 48, No. 2

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