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Words to describe compassion fatigue
Compassion fatigue supported by nursing theory
Compassion fatigue supported by nursing theory
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Coming Back From the Abyss: Recovering From Compassion Fatigue
Introduction
The authors of Lying Down in the Ever-Falling Snow objective is to expand the understanding of compassion fatigue by studying what it is like to experience the condition. They discuss the results of their phenomenological study of health professionals from a variety of aspects, with the intent to display a description of a comprehensive range of compassion fatigue experiences. The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary as to how the healthcare professional can begin, and continue, to recover from compassion fatigue. The key factors identified by Austin, Brintnell, Goble, Kagan, Kreitzer, Larsen, and Leier, (2013), for the recovery of compassion fatigue, is
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Education programs that supplement basic emotional-support skills in the practice setting are needed, as well as programs that focus on end-of-life training. These are needed to augment both knowledge and skill sets to increase awareness of the emotional demands facing today’s healthcare workforce. There is also the basic need for the healthcare professional to be knowledgeable in what compassion fatigue is, how to recognize the signs and symptoms, and when and where to get help. The more a healthcare professional understands how their clients affect them, the more insight they have in maximizing the effects that are beneficial, and minimizing those that pose increased risks to one’s well-being. This is a vital component the reader should be able to take away from analyzing this study but it seems to be overall lacking. As Nelson Mandela states “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. The lack of guidance in this regard is a serious limitation in this …show more content…
It is clearly articulated to the reader that until the corporate approach to health care is deterred and its’ compassionate purpose reaffirmed, these treatment ideas will not be successful. This is an important statement and is a necessary factor in compassion fatigue recovery, but there is little discussion on how this should be or could be
In Barbara Lazear Ascher’s essay titled “On Compassion, Lazear describes her various encounters with the homeless in order to create her argument concerning the origins of compassion. In her argument directed at an open-ended audience, she interprets compassion abstractly and portrays empathy as the building block to compassion; meaning, to be a more tolerant society, one must first learn empathy to understand and demonstrate true compassion. When analyzing Ascher’s rhetoric, her meticulous use of diction and rhetorical devices reveal a developing skeptical. Namely, Ascher’s use of rhetorical questions, a first-person narrative, and a careful selection of detail convey her initial skeptical attitude toward her subject of compassion.
Statistically, over 670,000 Americans are homeless with a growing number. 48 million people go to bed hungry every night. Although we do provide shelters and opportunities in America, millions of people are homeless worldwide. Even on a more minor level there are still hundreds homeless within hometowns. Everyday we encounter the homeless whether by seeing them holding their personal signs at stoplights, confronts with beggars, or viewing them from afar under bridges. In her essay titled “On Compassion”, writer Barbara Ascher uses rhetorical techniques detailing some of her personal homeless experiences within the city life, Asher does effectively use logos, pathos,
It can be related to feelings of hopelessness and lack of meaning, anxiety, decreased ability to concentrate, irritability, insomnia, emotional numbing, lack of empathy, and escapist activities (such a self-medicating with drugs and alcohol). This is in direct opposition to the idea that nurses would be responsive to an insightful of their clients needs. Dennis Portnoy wrote “Compassion fatigue was often triggered by patient care situations in which nurses believed that their actions would “not make a difference” or “never seemed to be enough”. He further elaborated in the article Burnout and compassion Fatigue that nurses who experienced this syndrome also did so because of systemic issues such as; overtime worked, high patient acuity, high patient census, heavy patient assignments, high acuity, overtime and extra workdays, personal issues, lack of energy and lack of experience (Portnoy, 2011). These issues, interfere with the nurses' ability to identify with the patient and to tune in to important issues and obscure symptoms. Once consideration is that nurses can use Orlando’s theory to identify and address their own needs and respond with the same level of consideration to their own needs in order to prevent a burn out
Recovery and professional caring both are integrated in everyone’s career as a nurse. As nurses we need to aid individuals in the recovery process, as well as promoting a professional and caring environment for them to strive in. Jean Watsons Theory of Human Caring and the Repper and Perkins recovery model both inter-relate in recovering from an illness. In all three of the recovery models components that are inter-related, authenticity is needed to make the connections with the patients, especially with the model being based on individual adaption and preference (Bennet et al., 2014, p. 39). This is more of a contemporary way of thinking as it more relates to change and growth of the individual (Collier, 2010, p. 17). To be able to aid a patient to make a full recovery, the patient must have the resources and support, with good intentions and authenticity from those who are enabling them, such as nurses.
These close relationships with other clients helped to create a sense of collaborative healing and, in the study conducted; the clients did not feel as much loneliness. It is imperative that the staff in inpatient settings help to cultivate an environment that allows close relationships among patients to form. Unfortunately, the findings of this article showed that very few institutions have policies in place to provide and maintain an environment where such relationships are possible (2014). This article can support the ideas presented in Rosenhan’s experiment which seemed to prove institutions themselves were not providing adequate environments. This article also supports the idea that pseudopatients and patients were negatively affected by the staff’s inability or lack of attentiveness. By not recognizing these issues within the environment, staff members could not provide adequate personal contact to promote healing
Within the two essays On Compassion by Barbara Lazear Ascher and On Dumpster Diving by Lars Eighner, the idea of living poor is presented as a central theme. Do earthly possessions and abundance of money really make you rich? Or in reality, are you really poor because you're focusing more on self-involvement rather than compassion and thoughtfulness towards other individuals? According to dictionary.com, the definition of poverty is the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor. Of these two essays, On Compassion is more effective to its purpose.
Radey, M., & Figley, C. R. (2007). The social psychology of compassion. Clinical Social Work Journal, 35(3), 207-214.
Compassion fatigue is a complex form of secondary traumatic stress often experienced by nurses and other health care professionals due to their stressful work environment. Compassion fatigue is extreme exhaustion that penetrates all aspects of one’s wellbeing, including the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of life (Murphy-Ende, 2012). Dealing with children who are both chronically ill or in palliative care is known to be extremely stressful. Not only are nurses faced with dealing with the physical symptoms of their patients, they also must attend to their fragile emotional state and be of assistance to their anxious family members. Oncologic diagnoses can put a child and their family into turmoil. Since the nurse is the first, and most constant point of contact, they are often the ones who become responsible for ensuring well-being of the entire family throughout the ...
It is a negative emotional and physical response to the unfortunate situations that can arise in the profession of care giving. The “detrimental effects can include exhaustion, an inability to focus and a decrease in productivity, as well as unhappiness, self-doubt and loss of passion and enthusiasm” (Lester, 2010, p. 11). Compassion fatigue develops suddenly versus burnout which develops gradually (Boyle, 2011, p. 9). This abrupt onset of symptoms will hinder the nurse’s ability to develop a trusting and therapeutic relationship with the patients under their care.... ...
The nursing theories that are currently in place in the emergency room to promote professional growth and development are vital; however, there are other nursing theories that could be implemented to help improve professional growth and development. A theory that should be implemented to more effectively promote professional growth and development is Orem’s theory of self-care deficit. Orem’s theory is considered a “realistic reflection on nursing practice” (McEwen & Wills, 2014, p. 146). If the nurse is not taking care of him or herself, “stress [can] accumulate [and the] nurse can … become angry, exhausted, depressed, and sleepless” (Ruff & Hoffman, 2016, p. 8). By the nurse having these feelings he or she is not able to take care of him
There are so many types of mental illnesses that affect people every day. When some people think of mental illnesses they think of the ones that would cause people to have physical symptoms as well, but that’s untrue, there are many more that you would never know anyone has if you were to see them on the street. As defined by the 2008 encyclopedia “a mental illness is any disease of the mind or brain that seriously affects a person’s ability or behavior. Symptoms of a mental illness may include extreme moods, such as excessive sadness or anxiety, or a decreased ability to think clearly or remember well.” A mentally ill person has severe symptoms that damage the person’s ability to function in everyday activities and situations. Every nation and every economic level can be affected by a mental illness. In the United States alone about 3% of the population has severe mental illness and to add to that number about 40% of people will experience a type of mental illness at least once in their lives. Some cases of mental illnesses can go away on their own, but some cases are so severe that they require professional treatment. There is so much more available to help people recover from their symptoms than in the past.
...e with compassion fatigue will be of no use to help with the patient’s emotional and spiritual needs. The emotions of both the nurse and the patient needs to be met in order to establish good communication and compassionate care between the two.
The pediatric oncology unit has become a heavily studied area for those interested in prevention of compassion fatigue, burnout, and identification of those character traits that offer increased resilience. Nurses are expected to maintain professionalism and appropriate work-life balance but this may become a difficult task on a unit where children have a chronic, intensive, and potentially life-ending condition. Nurses become close to the patient and their family and when death occurs they too may feel a great sense of intense grief and loss. The acknowledgment of this grief and the promotion of adequate self-care habits, work-life divisions, and the ability to recognize when help may be needed are amongst the most important means in prevention of burnout and compassion fatigue. In addition to utilization of positive coping skills by the nurse a responsibility by the organization is also necessary to prevent staff burnout and turnover. The organization is responsible for acknowledgement of a loss on the unit. Presentation of prompt and anonymous counseling services to everyone on the unit following a death and regularly on high-risk units is just one of the many ways an organization can continue to decrease the loss of good nurses to compassion fatigue and
Compassion fatigue is defined as “The emotional residue or strains of exposure to working with those suffering from the consequences of traumatic events” (The American Institute of Stress, n.d.). Compassion fatigue occurs when healthcare workers, especially those who work with patients one-on-one daily, feel the emotional stress of their jobs starting to wear on them. For example, a person who works with a cancer patient and watches that patient worsen and finally pass away, may experience great emotional pain. Dealing with stressful situations over time could also cause compassion fatigue. One way to prevent compassion fatigue is through implementation of Schwartz rounds. “Schwartz rounds are not 'problem solving'. Instead, the focus is on the emotional experiences of staff caring for patients and they allow staff to explore, in an environment that is safe and confidential, situations that confront them.” (Thompson, A. (2013). Schwartz rounds are like support groups for healthcare workers. They allow healthcare providers to share their struggles as caregivers and solve their strugg...
Mental health refers to the state of individuals psychologically, emotionally and socially. Mental health affects a person’s emotions, feelings, thoughts, and sections when exposed to different situations. Furthermore, mental health is responsible for a person’s reaction to stress and other social conditions. Generally, mental health affects how a person relates to others and their ability to understand and interact with them. Therefore, problems that affect a person’s mental health affect the abilities to socialize, their feelings, moods, reaction to situations. The person experiencing mental health problem may portray different behaviors when confronted with different issues. Mental health issues have several