Compassion Fatigue In Nursing

Health providers suffer from an emotional problem called compassion fatigue. Often times compassion fatigue occurs do to the situations encountered by health care professionals and the pain they feel for the patients they care for. One of the essential components of health care is providing care is compassion

Compassion fatigue is widely known in the health care profession. Nurses working overtime and long working days to provide care for the patient and the patient’s families are a continuous stress on a nurse’s emotional and physical well-being especially if the nurse is providing the patient with end of life care as this contributes to both physical and mental work. Vital

The incidence of compassion fatigue is increasing due to the heavy responsibilities placed on nurses and other providers, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Compassion can be a limited resource, our system is rooted in cognitive networks that tire and need refueling (Carey, 2011). Healthcare workers spend more time charting than

. This exploratory study used a cross sectional survey method (Hopper, Craig, Janvir, Wetsel, Reimels, Anderson, Greenvilee & Clemson, 2010, p. 422). Compassion satisfaction and fatigue subscales were measured using the Professional Quality of Life, using ProQOL R-IV instrument (Hopper, et al. 2010, p. 423). Despite study limitations which were small sample size, authors concluded that recognising the signs and symptoms, and identifying best practice interventions and raising awareness, will lead to the development of ongoing support programs for hospital nurses (Hopper, et al., 2010, p. 427).

While working in an emergency department (ED), nurses are expected to show compassion even when they are exhausted? Over tired? Over worked? Fatigued? The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to educate ED nurses on compassion fatigue (CF) risk factors, causes, and symptoms as well as assist them in its identification among each other and within themselves. Further, the project sought to provide nurses with skills in order to prevent CF. A two-hour workshop consisting of a PowerPoint presentation was implemented in a busy emergency department on the coast of NJ. Teaching nurses about compassion fatigue and ways in which to alleviate and prevent it were stressed. Self-regulation and self-care practices were introduced using interactive activities. Over the next four weeks, emails were sent reiterating self-care and self-regulatory techniques. A Pretest-posttest design used the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) measure to determine if burnout and secondary traumatic stress (both components of CF) and compassion satisfaction improved from the workshop. A comparative means analysis showed a decline in CF.

Oxford Dictionary defines compassion as the sharing in another’s suffering, and fatigue as extreme tiredness after exertion (2010). Understanding the definitions of the concept’s individual components illustrates the cause and effect relationship that is the precursor to CF. A concept analysis by Knobloch-Coetzee and Klopper (2010), defined CF as the culmination of gradual and aggregated contact with patients who require personal self-giving, in stressful environments, for extended periods, without time for emotional recovery. CF evolves from an initial state of compassion discomfort that over time, depletes emotional energy reserves, and eventually surpasses the nurse’s endurance levels. CF is a complete inability to recover emotionally (2010). A study focused on social workers and CF defined the concept as, a limited ability to show interest, express empathy, or bear the suffering of clients, deriving from the instinctual emotional response, born from the awareness of a client’s traumatizing life experience (Adams, Boscarino, & Figley, 2004). In a study of the experience of CF in ER nurses versus other specialty units, CF is defined as the predictable, natural, treatable, and preventable, unwanted emotional consequence of working with suffering people (Hooper, et al, 2010).

Compassion represents an “acknowledgement of another’s suffering and is accompanied by the expression of a desire to ease or end that suffering.” (Van der Cingal, 2009, p. 124) This is a fundamental characteristic usually found in health care workers and nurses especially. In one twelve hour shift, a nurse’s job can change from taking vitals and administering medications to performing life saving measures

The matrix table involves article 1 with the purpose to research, heavy workload impacting the nurses job performance and patient outcomes. The dependent variable, used a random sample of 472 nurses from British Columbia, Canada and the independent variable measured the heavy workload and emotional exhaustion. The major findings of heavy workload (74.4%) and emotional exhaustion (55.4%) displayed high percentage rates. Article 2’s study question was to investigate, compassion fatigue and job satisfaction factors influencing turnover intention. The dependent variable included a convenience sample of 283 participating nurses from four general hospitals and the independent variable measured compassion fatigue and job satisfaction. The major findings of compassion fatigue because of overload work sampled more than half of the participants (61.8%). The study design for both articles was cross-sectional using focus

As health professionals one of the qualities that we possess is to be empathetic and put ourselves in the place of our patients. In a situation like the one described in the study if the professional is not emotionally prepared to handle this situation where families lose everything, there are homeless and wounded children, we can fall in compassion fatigue. We will stop being empathetic to be a part of the situation and thus lose the perspective of the situation. This condition can occur more frequently in firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and rescuers are those who arrive first to the disaster area. This research aimed to analyze how exposed is the nurse to present the compassion fatigue , the use of both methods

Figley (2002a) defined “Compassion Fatigue” as a sense of helplessness and confusion around an emotional investment in helping those who are suffering. Compassion Fatigue has been linked to 10 variables. Starting variable begins with Empathic Ability, the ability to notice the pain of others. Following with Empathic Concern, noticing the pain of others and wanting to help the other person. Thirdly is Exposure to the client, the more time face to face with a consumer. Consecutively follows Empathic Response – taking the steps and making an effort to help reduce or alleviate the suffering of the consumer through understanding. Afterward becomes Compassion Stress, the stress one feels from the additional empathy towards another. Sixth is

Although nursing is a varied profession, compassion fatigue is experienced across all specialties and is a relatively new acknowledgement of symptoms. “Compassion fatigue is the term used to describe a combination of burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Burnout is composed of three constructs: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and diminishing ones accomplishments” Maslach, Schaufeli & Leiter, (2001). On the contrary and not thoroughly studied is compassion satisfaction. “While CF describes some of the occupational hazards of nursing, compassion satisfaction (CS) encompasses the pleasure of gratitude that develops from caregiving for patients” (Simon, Pryce, Roff & Klemmack 2005). This term of compassion satisfaction is interchangeable

Compassion fatigue is a term that defines how nurses will often ignore their own emotions and feelings in order to care for others. The term also defines the nurse that is worn down, angry, distressed, and

Statistics have showed that among healthcare providers registered nurses were found to have a response rate of 34 % with regards to participating in the topic of compassion satisfaction and burnout study. An average level 38.3 (SD = 7.2) of compassion satisfaction was found among nurses, having an average level 21.5 (SD = 6.4) of burnout. It was also found out that nursing staff working on inpatient nursing units had the highest percentage of high-risk compassion satisfaction scores. Statistically, the percentages of high-risk scores for compassion fatigue were relatively equal among inpatient and outpatient staff, 37% and 35%, respectively. However, 44% of inpatient staff scored at high risk for burnout compared to 33% for outpatient staff,

The team had a valid development strategy. Based on the guidelines, Andreotta (2013) informed that the topic was clinically important for nurses providing high-quality care for pediatric patients. Moreover, Andreotta (2013) noted signs of compassion fatigue – negativism, emotional, and physical exhaustion – disabling nurses in offering quality patient care. Also, in light of multiple studies showing improvement in nurses’ reduction of compassion fatigue from modifying work-environment and self-care skills, Andreotta (2013) led her team, through systematic reviews of literature, to find the most effective intervention in decreasing nurses’ compassion fatigue to improve the quality of patient care.

Compassion fatigue can affect anyone in the working industry, not only law enforcement officers. But what really is compassion fatigue? Compassion fatigue can be characterized by the physical and emotional exhaustion. It can cause a behavior change, for example, not being able to show empathy for anyone: their co-workers, loved ones, and patients. Compassion fatigue also includes cognitive and emotional detriments. An example of cognitive detriment