Burnout And Compassion Fatigue

Combating Caregiver Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
Healthcare providers have agreed when entering the healthcare profession to give the utmost care to all patients and families. They have dedicated their time and energy to assure all patients are cared for the way the want and need to be treated. Many endless hours are provided to assure that quality and empathetic care is given, which can often end up in what is called compassion fatigue and caregiver burnout. There are warning signs to both issues that healthcare providers can be on the lookout for to lessen the risk of developing caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue and strategies and resources that can help the healthcare professionals and caregivers to overcome it.
Caregiver burnout
Many family members are taking the responsibility for caring for their loved ones in the homes d/t the demands of todays’ economy and the cost of healthcare facilities. The cost of healthcare continues to rise and the ability to maintain healthcare coverage is getting harder and harder for a lot of Americans. Another cause is that many religions, spiritual beliefs and traditions involve caring for the sick and elderly by family members in the home. For professionals the majority of the causes of caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue are related to the shortage of healthcare professionals and the turnover rates that the healthcare industry is experiencing. Many healthcare professionals and caregivers are working longer, harder hours to assure that the patients and families continue to receive the loving, compassionate, quality of care that is needed to treat the patients mind, body and spirit. Some may find that they need to work the extra hours to keep their family financially fit. These are just some of the many causes out there that cause caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue in todays’
Healthcare professionals and caregivers must understand the relationship with self. They must be able to express their own needs and wants and be able to achieve their own work-life balance. Healthcare workers and caregivers must take time for their own well-being and identify what is important to them and assure that their needs are being maintained. Healthcare professionals and caregivers need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue and know what they can do if they start to experience any of the signs and symptoms. Some easy solutions include finding someone to talk to about the frustrations that one is experiencing, exercise regularly, eat a well-balanced diet, and assure that they are getting quality sleep and to take time off away from the identified stressors to rebalance the mind, body and spirit. Many resources are available to healthcare professionals and caregivers. Many employers are now implementing the Employee Assistance Program also known as EAP in efforts to assist employees and their families with ways to overcome their day to day stressors and provide them ways keep healthier and happy. Other resources may include having a mentor or counselor to set up a personalized assessment and intervention plan to identify