Nursing Concept Analysis Paper

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Application of Concept Analysis to Clinical Practice Concept analysis seeks to determine structure, function, attributes, and characteristics of a concept which serves to provide common understanding of the term so that future research endeavors find the concept clearly communicable and increasingly measurable. (Smego, 2010.) Compassion Fatigue (CF) within the nursing profession needs to be probed more critically and monitored for trends among certain subspecialties of nursing. Compassion fatigue or otherwise known as Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder is clinically defined as, “The emotional residue or strain of exposure to working with those suffering from the consequences of traumatic events. It differs from burn-out, but can co-exist. …show more content…

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

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