Compassion fatigue is characterized by mental and physical distress caused by excessive empathy for patients or their families. The illness has varying degrees of impact on caregivers such as nurses (Burnett, 2015). Depression, severe stress, rage, exhaustion, and a lack of enthusiasm at work are all symptoms of compassion fatigue (Burnett, 2015). According to research, compassion fatigue is one of the variables that contribute to increased nurse turnover and time off. The problem is essential and worth discussing since it affects the ability to provide empathy and compassion, and hence the whole service delivery, which is the key premise in caregiving.
V. Lachman (2016).
Compassion Fatigue as a Threat to Ethical Practice: Identification, Personal, and Workplace Prevention/Management Strategies. Ethics Law And Policy, 25(4), 275-278.
Lachman claims that compassion fatigue can be a threat to ethical practice in nursing career and proposes some strategies which could calm the situation. Insomnia, low, or lack of concentration, patient detachment, and increased errors are some of the symptoms of compassion fatigue that may compromise the nurse performance and holistic health delivery. A Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) is the common tool that use burnout, traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction parameters as determinants of compassion fatigue levels. Nurses tend to have a closer connection to patients than other health practitioners and hence are more empathetic to patients in their sufferings, trauma, or death. Nurses lack a chance to relief themselves off the compassion feelings and end up having emotional and physical stresses due to their tight working schedule. The author reflects on Christian principle, and the nurses’ code of ethics on love to others and self-care that all claim that love and care to others should be equivalent and hence the nurses should use all means to mitigate compassion fatigue. The other strategy is the use if Buddhist philosophy to extend compassion without attachment to both the positive and negative outcomes to reduce emotional turmoil. High turnover of the nurse manager may reduce patient satisfaction thus raising compassion fatigue. Stable management, low rates of program redesigns in nursing and building a caring culture in workplaces could lower compassion fatigue levels. Self-awareness of the state, workplace education, ProQOL surveys, counselling and social support to the nurses are some of the proposed strategies to reduce compassion fatigue causative factors.
Helms, P. (2015). Book Review of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in Nursing. OMEGA - Journal Of Death And Dying, 70(4), 459-461. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0030222815573930
In her text, Dr. Todaro-Franceschi educates the nurses on self-care as a basic towards achieving self-contentment and offering the patients holistic care. She also focuses on aspects such as compassion Fatigue, contentment, and burnout from the professional quality of life. From her own experiences as a health practitioner, she acknowledges compassion fatigue as a critical issue that require attention since the consequences may affect the way health service is delivered. The author proposes the use of ART self-care model to improve the Professional quality of life. The model requires practitioners to first “Acknowledge the feelings” then “recognize the choices” then “turn outward” mainly towards oneself or others. The ART model can help the nurses overcome burnout and moral fatigue and increase their capability to offer care for the dying without distress. The book also showcases some of the challenges faced by the nurses in workplaces such as poor or negative patient progress and bullying. Nurses also encounter dead patients in their service which may be a factor that increase moral distress and compassion fatigue. The situation is not the same for nurses in hospice who despite dealing with a bigger number of dying patients experience less cases of compassion fatigue. She relates these disparities with possible lack of necessary education on nursing and psychology education on death and bereavement. Todaro-Franceschi therefore supports the move by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to change nursing education by introducing an art that to allow them take care of others and yet consider their well-being.
Hunsaker, S., Chen, H., Maughan, D., & Heaston, S. (2015). Factors That Influence the Development of Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction in Emergency Department Nurses. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship, 47(2), 186-194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12122
Studies by Hunsaker, Chen, Maughan, & Heaston, 2015 sought to find the prevalence and the demographic factors of compassion fatigue (CF), Compassion Satisfaction (CS) and burnout among the nurses serving under emergency department. Questionnaires were used to collect data from emergency sector nurses and the ProQOL tool was used in measuring the prevalence of these conditions. Nurses in emergency department experience low to moderate compassion fatigue and burnout. It was also noted that the emergency nurses experienced a high compassion satisfaction promoted by efficient manager support. Low manager support was identified as the major cause of high burnout and compassion fatigue cases as well as low levels of compassion satisfaction. Factors such as high level of education, experience in the ED department, less working hours were identified as factors increasing the CS levels. According to the authors, recognizing the existence and educating the nurses on compassion satisfaction fatigue and burnout could give solutions to help the nurses remain empathetic and compassionate without being physically or emotionally affected.
Conclusion
Caregivers such as the nurses tend to have a closer connection to patients than other health practitioners and hence are more empathetic to patients in their sufferings, trauma, or death. It is essential to create awareness about this condition on the strategies that can be used to help caregivers attain a balance on patient and personal care to nourish their lives. Caregivers should also learn how to use the ProQOL tool to identify any signs of compassion fatigue. Organizations should also acknowledge the dangers associated with compassion fatigue and implement corrective measures. Open discussion about compassion fatigue, peer support, workload alternation, regular breaks are some of the strategies proven to prevent compassion fatigue.
References
Burnett, H. (2015). The Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Connection: A Survey of Resilience, Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction among Trauma Responders. International Journal Of Emergency Mental Health And Human Resilience, 17(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/1522-4821.1000165
Helms, P. (2015). Book Review of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in Nursing. OMEGA - Journal Of Death And Dying, 70(4), 459-461. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0030222815573930
Hunsaker, S., Chen, H., Maughan, D., & Heaston, S. (2015). Factors That Influence the Development of Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction in Emergency Department Nurses. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship, 47(2), 186-194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12122
Lachman, V. (2016). Compassion Fatigue as a Threat to Ethical Practice: Identification, Personal and Workplace Prevention/Management Strategies. Ethics Law And Policy, 25(4), 275-278.
