The aim of this essay is to explore certain aspects of the concept of Compassion, apply it to my experiences in placement and finally reflect on the Evidence based learning (EBL) process that we used to do our presentation and research for this essay.
Compassion is a concept that has many definitions. Breaking down the word; the ‘com’ derives from the root meaning ‘with’ (Anon 2013) and the ‘passion’ in the word originates from the latin word ‘pati’ which means ‘suffering’ (Smajdor 2013, Anon 2013). Therefore ‘suffering’ of another person is needed in order for compassion to happen (Mindbodygreen 2012, Oxford Dictionary 2013). In relation to Midwifery and compassion, the women we are caring for can be seen as ‘suffering’ as they may be in pain or may not know what is happening to them, they look to us for care and help, which can come in the form of ‘sympathy’ and ‘empathy’ (Mindbodygreen 2012, Family Care International 2005). The Department of Health (hereafter DOH) suggests that compassion relies on valuing those we care for, making them feel worth something (Department of Health 2012).
Compassion cannot be measured (Department of Health 2012, Cole-King 2011, Smajdor 2013) and therefore can be seen as a personal response and as the view of an individual of the situation in hand (Nussbaum 2008). Some people would say having someone there with them at all times would be compassionate whilst others would disagree, this is what makes the concept difficult.
The 14th Dalai Lama states that an adequate amount of compassion correlates to mental health satisfaction that leads to good physical health as if we are stressed or angry, then our body is more likely to succumb to disease (Gyatso N.D). Research shows that compassionate car...
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.... 2013, "Reification and compassion in medicine: a tale of two systems", Clinical Ethics, [Online], , pp. 10th January 2014. Available from: http://www.annasmajdor.me.uk/compassion_pdf.pdf.
The Kyer Group 2014, , What is Compassion Fatigue? [Homepage of The Kyer Group], [Online]. Available: http://www.thekyergroup.org/what-is-compassion-fatigue/ [2014, Feb/28th].
Von Both, C., Fleβa, S., Makuwani, A., Mpembeni, R. & Jahn, A. 2006, "How much time do health services spend on antenatal care? Implications for the introduction of the focused antenatal care model in Tanzania", BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, [Online], vol. 6, no. 22, pp. 13th January 2014. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1557863/pdf/1471-2393-6-22.pdf. [13th January 2014].
Young, C. 2011, The experience of burnout in caseloading midwives, Auckland University of Technology.
“I looked anxiously. I didn’t see anybody… I’d keep my head up and my eyes open-‘You got a smoke to spare?’” (Walters 3). In Shattered, Eric Walters hauls the reader through the life of Ian, the protagonist who experiences the joy of helping others. Throughout this white pine award novel, Ian continually offers help to people around him reflecting to them that their lives are not perfect and they ought to alter it somewhat. Furthermore, the author effectively compares the significance of family and the importance of acquiring a dream in life. Through the book, Eric Walters demonstrates the theme of compassion through the incidents of Ian helping Jack to overcome his drinking problems, showing Berta the value of patriot and always there for the less fortunate.
Compassion has became something rare in our society, and something that a lot of people lack. The author, Barbara Lazear Ascher, explains to us that compassion is not a character trait, but rather something that we learn along the way with the help of real life situations we encounter, such as the ones she encountered herself. Ascher persuades her audience that compassion is not just something you are born with by using anecdotes, rhetorical questions, and allusions.
A leading researcher on self-compassion, Dr. Neff, identified three components of self-compassion. Firstly in simple terms
eeling driven by fear and work‐related trauma). So twenty five out of seventy eight pages are what psychology terms to describe how compassion works, and rest of the pages are raw data that was using what High students would learn in Statistics class as they use mean, t-test,
This particular concept of Compassion Fatigue can be a very vague abstract phenomenon because defining what the signs and symptoms of Compassion Fatigue are, is very obscure and fuzzy. Nurses do not always or often report that they are suffering from Compassion Fatigue and may associate the symptoms with employment burn out or unrelated health concerns. It is important for nurses to become knowledgeable about Compassion Fatigue symptoms and intervention strategies and to develop a personal plan of care so as to achieve a healthy work life balance. Equally as important is that healthcare systems invest in creating healthy work environments that prevent Compassion Fatigue and address the needs of the nurses who are suffering from Compassion Fatigue ("Compassion Fatigue: A Nurse’s Primer," 2001.) While the concept of Compassion Fatigue, Burn Out and Compassion Satisfaction has been analyzed by authors Mooney et al, this is only a small portion of understanding Compassion Fatigue in the Oncology Unit and what steps to take to combat or prevent Compassion Fatigue in new nurses on the unit. Author Melonie McEwen reflects that expert practice and enhanced education lead advanced practice nurses to recognize commonalities in phenomena that suggest the need for inquiry (MCEWEN, 2018, p. 50). Compassion Fatigue is not a new concept or idea but developing the whys and hows of the prevalence of Compassion Fatigue should be investigated as well as more effective interventions so that the nurse does not jeopardize patient safety or job
The definition of compassion is “sympathetic consciousness of another’s distress with a desire to alleviate it” (Merriam-Webster dictionary, 2011). Compassion and the desire to nourish may be the deciding factors that would lead one to pursue a career in nursing. Nurses over the span of their career will have extensive exposure to trauma, pain, and unfortunate situations. Workplace stressors such as scheduling and increasing workload along with repeated exposure to the hardships of others predisposes caregivers, especially nurses, to develop a unique type of burnout labeled compassion fatigue (Joinson 1992). Compassion fatigue develops when a nurse unintentionally takes on the misfortune, anxiety, pain, and trauma of the patients they care for.
Many researchers have examined compassion fatigue in regards to individuals who work closely with children in child welfare. As more research has developed there have been several prominent themes that have emerged. Compassion satisfaction, a stable support network, compassion fatigue measurement scales, self care, and trainings have been found to support foster parents and promote strengths that reduce the risk of compassion fatigue and burnout. These themes have allowed professionals and foster parents alike become more effective in their carer roles.
Does your head hurt, does your body ache, and how are your bowl movements? After a head to toe assessments, touching and prodding, the physician writes up a prescription and explains in a medical jargon the treatment plan. As the short consultation comes to a close, it’s wrapped up with the routine “Please schedule an appointment if there are no signs of improvement”. This specific experience often leaves the patient feeling the “medical gaze” of the physicians. Defined by good and good, the medical gaze is the physicians mentality of objectifying their patient to nothing more than a biological entity. Therefore it is believed that the medical gaze moves away from compassionate and empathetic care, thus leaving patients feeling disconnected from their physicians. In order to understand how the medical gaze has stemmed into patient care, I begin with observations of a Grand Round, lectures for the progress of continuing medical education of physicians. There are expectations of physicians to be informed of cutting edge medical procedures and biotechnology since it can result in a less aggressive and more efficient treatment plan of patients. As I witness the resident physician’s maturation of medical competence in during a Surgical Grand Round at UC Irvine Medical Center, it has shifted the paradigm of the medical gaze and explains how competence is a form of compassion and empathy in patient care.
I believe that we should always think of others needs and do no harm to others even if they have harmed you in some way. I treat others the way that I would want them to treat me and I expect that others will treat me the same way. I understand that not everyone feels the same as I do and that I cannot control the way that others decide to treat me. I show compassion for everyone I come in contact with and I treat every patient the same way despite the fact that they may be unruly or even try to hurt me. I have accepted the fact that there are some people out there who will try to hurt me despite the fact that all I want to do is help them. I feel that everyone in the health care profession should feel the same way as I do and try to keep themselves from losing their mercy that they show towards others. After being in the health care field for so long, many people stop caring for others and become detached from the patients. I agree that we cannot take every case personally but we still need to retain our humanity and continue to show compassion to fellow
Compassion is a type of meditation therapy which is used recently. As a new topic, at least for me, this encouraged me to learn about this topic and gave me the idea for my paper. Compassion has many definitions, one of these definitions is the feeling that emerges in witnessing another's suffering and that motivates a following desire to help (Goetz, Keltner, & Thomas, 2010). Hofmann, Grossman, and Hinton (2011) describe compassion as a path leading to greater awareness, aimed to focus awareness upon alleviation of the suffering of all sensitive beings. Moreover, compassion is thought to have arisen as the affective element of a caregiving system, designed to help raise vulnerable progeny to the age of viability (Goetz, Keltner, & Thomas, 2010).
The aim of this paper will be to demonstrate a further understanding following the meaning of empathy throughout nursing practice.
A great deal of emotions occur in the postpartum period, emotions that you could never understand unless you have been there. Before I attended a conference on depression in pregnancy & postpartum the thought of fathers suffering from postnatal depression never even entered my mind. As far as I was concerned, It was only associated it with giving birth. The knowledge I gained has not only changed my outlook on the subject but the way that I interact with and educate my patients. My focus is no longer just on the dyad of mom and baby it’s on mom, dad and baby if there is a partner involved at all. The purpose of this essay is to explore a particular concept related to professional caring in nursing. It will discuss the patient/client situation, exploration of the concept, how the concept relates to personal caring through noticing, interpreting, responding and reflection. The concept that will be explored in this paper is empathy.
Radey, M., & Figley, C. R. (2007). The social psychology of compassion. Clinical Social Work Journal, 35(3), 207-214.
My philosophy of nursing incorporates knowledge, compassion, competence, and respect for each patient. It is based on my personal and professional experiences, both of which have helped me to positively contribute to a patient’s recovery and wellness. These are the attributes that give me a sense of pride and strengthen my commitment to the nursing profession. This paper explores my values and beliefs relating to a patient’s care, as well as, the responsibilities of health professionals.
Stewardship. The principle of stewardship demands engagement in the promotion of compassion. It requires that the individual take responsibility for their role in the community. These responsibilities include an awareness of the issues which affect the group. This obligation demands that the individual place the needs of the community above their own personal interests. In placing community requirements above a singular agenda, the individual is encouraged to view the community with personal interest. Rather than a commitment to a set of individualistic values, the community member may seek to balance “individual freedoms against the common good” (Clear & Karp, 1999, p. 126).