Combating Compassion Fatigue Research Paper
Combating Compassion Fatigue
Grand Canyon University: HLT 310-V
February 2, 2014
Combating Compassion Fatigue Compassion is an essential attribute that nurses must posses in order to provide appropriate care to the patients and families they come in contact with. Nurses work many long shifts taking care of sick patients and grieving families, and may not take the time to care for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs properly. After a while, the long hours and stress may catch up with them and cause compassion fatigue or even burnout. Nurses must learn to care for themselves first and foremost in order to be healthy, happy and spiritually sound, and this in turns allows them to provide great care to their …show more content…
When a nurse experiences this type of fatigue, it is important to be aware of what is happening because their current state must be addressed and dealt with in order to prevent further complications. Compassion fatigue “is marked by increased cynicism at work, a loss of enjoyment of our career, and eventually can transform into depression, secondary traumatic stress and stress-related illnesses”(Mathieu, 2007). The Cleveland Clinic (2009) states that “caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that may be accompanied by a change in attitude-- from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned.” Burnout happens when a nurse focuses to much on meeting the demands of the job and less on taking care of the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of oneself. Caregiver burnout not only happens to nurses and health care provides, but to family members that are taking care of a loved one as well. Warning Signs of Compassion …show more content…
A health care worker should be aware of the warning signs of compassion fatigue in order to circumvent the problems that it triggers. Health care providers need to remember that without being healthy in all aspects of their mind, body and soul, they cannot provide the best care for the patients as well as their own family.
References
Bush, N. (2009). Compassion fatigue: are you at risk?. Oncology Nursing Forum, 36(1), 24-28. doi:10.1188/09.ONF.24-28
Chen, C., Lin, C., Wang, S., & Hou, T. (2009). A study of job stress, stress coping strategies, and job satisfaction for nurses working in middle-level hospital operating rooms. Journal Of Nursing Research (Taiwan Nurses Association), 17(3), 199-211. doi:10.1097/JNR.0b013e3181b2557b
Combating compassion fatigue. (2011). Grand Canyon University. Retrieved from: https://lc- ugrad1.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html? operation=loggedIn#/learningPlatform/loudBooks/loudbooks.html? viewPage=current&operation=innerPage¤tTopicname=Combating Compassion Fatigue&topicMaterialId=47e2dbb0-ad7a-47d5-bc65-
Grand Canyon University: HLT 310-V
February 2, 2014
Combating Compassion Fatigue Compassion is an essential attribute that nurses must posses in order to provide appropriate care to the patients and families they come in contact with. Nurses work many long shifts taking care of sick patients and grieving families, and may not take the time to care for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs properly. After a while, the long hours and stress may catch up with them and cause compassion fatigue or even burnout. Nurses must learn to care for themselves first and foremost in order to be healthy, happy and spiritually sound, and this in turns allows them to provide great care to their …show more content…
When a nurse experiences this type of fatigue, it is important to be aware of what is happening because their current state must be addressed and dealt with in order to prevent further complications. Compassion fatigue “is marked by increased cynicism at work, a loss of enjoyment of our career, and eventually can transform into depression, secondary traumatic stress and stress-related illnesses”(Mathieu, 2007). The Cleveland Clinic (2009) states that “caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that may be accompanied by a change in attitude-- from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned.” Burnout happens when a nurse focuses to much on meeting the demands of the job and less on taking care of the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of oneself. Caregiver burnout not only happens to nurses and health care provides, but to family members that are taking care of a loved one as well. Warning Signs of Compassion …show more content…
A health care worker should be aware of the warning signs of compassion fatigue in order to circumvent the problems that it triggers. Health care providers need to remember that without being healthy in all aspects of their mind, body and soul, they cannot provide the best care for the patients as well as their own family.
References
Bush, N. (2009). Compassion fatigue: are you at risk?. Oncology Nursing Forum, 36(1), 24-28. doi:10.1188/09.ONF.24-28
Chen, C., Lin, C., Wang, S., & Hou, T. (2009). A study of job stress, stress coping strategies, and job satisfaction for nurses working in middle-level hospital operating rooms. Journal Of Nursing Research (Taiwan Nurses Association), 17(3), 199-211. doi:10.1097/JNR.0b013e3181b2557b
Combating compassion fatigue. (2011). Grand Canyon University. Retrieved from: https://lc- ugrad1.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html? operation=loggedIn#/learningPlatform/loudBooks/loudbooks.html? viewPage=current&operation=innerPage¤tTopicname=Combating Compassion Fatigue&topicMaterialId=47e2dbb0-ad7a-47d5-bc65-