Nurses are at risk of not caring due to compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is described as “a complex emotion that allows care-givers to hold and sustain themselves in emotional balance while holding patients’ despair in one hand and their hopefulness in the other (Bush, 2009, pg. 25). In this paper, the author will discuss warning signs for five concepts of compassion fatigue, the nature of the problems and their causes, the needs of the caregiver, and coping strategies and resources for those suffering from compassion fatigues. Warning Signs for Five Concepts of Compassion Fatigue Physical Manifestations Compassion fatigue can manifest itself through physical symptoms.
Bringing together education and healing was a life-changing experience that made me realize that nursing is my true calling. Traditionally, nurses were viewed as caregivers. In today’s world, image of nursing profession changes as nurses play many other roles such as patient’s advocates, educators, managers, team members, facilitators, and experts. (Zerwekh, 2006). As I read the entries from my reflective journal, I could see how my focus shifted from assisting patient with his basic needs at the beginning of the nursing school to more comprehensive nursing care today.
I wanted to see how other nurses dealt with the stresses of this field and the burnout rate. In any occupation people can experience burnout or dissatisfaction. When I came across this article in look intriguing so I choose to do my article review over it. Additionally, the abstract said that it gave suggestions to how to improve job satisfaction in mental heath nursing so I thought it would be beneficial to read even if I don’t decided to work in mental heath. “Burnout is a psychological experience that manifests itself in individual, particularly those involved in difficult person-to-person relationships as part of their work, such as nursing professionals (Hamaideh 1).
Introduction Compassion fatigue has already been identified as a combination of emotional, physical, and spiritual depletion which is associated with the caring of patients in significant physical distress and emotional pain. Although the literature is awash with a lot of definitions of compassion fatigue, Joinson (1992), gave the first definition of this concept during her service in the emergency room. She identified that compassion fatigue was a rare form of burnout that usually affects individuals in care-giving roles. The proposed research paper will investigate the effects of compassion fatigue on patient care and care-givers. Objectives The aims of the proposed research will be: 1) To investigate whether compassionate fatigue influences the overall quality patient care, 2)To establish the need of structuring appropriate and multi-faceted interventions to combat compassion fatigue, 3) To establish the risk factors associatedwith compassion fatigue.
Nursing Leadership Style and Nurse Burnout Nursing Leadership Style and Nurse Burnout Nursing is a stressful and demanding profession. Nurses constantly faced with people’s problems, suffering and needs; puts the nursing profession at a high risk for burnout. Nursing leadership plays a significant role in how nurses feel about their work and handle patients (Kanste, 2008). Having worked on a cardiac telemetry unit, which was high stress with high patient turnover and dealing with a manger that was not approachable or visible, has made me realize that burnout was what I was experiencing. Leadership Style This article delves into the different types of leadership style such as transformational, transactional and laissez-faire and there effect on nurse burnout.
The critical care nurse plays a vital role in the withdrawal of life support because they are present at the bedside more than any other team member of the health care team and are responsible for carrying out physician’s orders to withdraw artificial support (Kirchhoff & Kowalkowski, 2010). However, ethical and legal conflicts may occur, when there is not a mutual agreement between the physician and patient or (and) family members regarding withdrawal of life support. It is the nurse’s role and obligation to facilitate discussion among the patient and family members when conflicts evolve. Therefore, it is imperative that the nurses have moral courage and have ethical humility to resolve conflicts, to assist the patient or family members, to make informed end of life decisions when death appears evitable. Hypothetical patient scenario Mr. Brown is an 89 year old male patient who has been recently diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer with metastasis to the
High levels of work place stress and professional burnout continually affects nurses and other health care workers globally. This paper will explore this nursing issue by articulating the concepts of stress and professional burnout relative to the nursing profession. The term stress is defined as “a particular relationship between the person and the environment that is appraised by the person as taxing or as exceeding his or her resources and is endangering his or her well-being” (Wlodarczyk, & Lazarewicz, 2011 p.848). This definition focuses on how stress is connected to an individual’s awareness of their resources and environment. The term professional burnout is described as “physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that results from long-term involvement in work situations that are emotionally demanding” (Wlodarczyk, & Lazarewicz, 2011 p.848), highlighting how the work place environment is directly affecting an individual’s health and well-being.
Dealing with Difficult Patients in the Medical Field Unit 6 Project Danielle Robinson CM 107 Outline Introduction A. Dealing with the difficult patients can be very stressful to your health if dealt with in the wrong way. B. All medical workers should have the availability to be able to take seminars that a. are offered to them throughout their career to keep them informed and update with b. any changes or new ideas or policies that might come into play on how to c. More effectively handle any or all situations. C. Difficult people are everywhere and dealing if them is an everyday life.
Combating Compassion Fatigue Grand Canyon University Foundations of Spirituality in Health Care HLT-310V Emory Davis September 13, 2013 Combating Compassion Fatigue Compassion Fatigue has been described as the “cost of caring” for others in emotional and physical pain. According to Figley, caregivers who have an inherent ability to care with compassion and express empathy are at the greatest risk for compassion fatigue when continuously faced with grief and loss. Compassion fatigue is a progressive and cumulative process that is influenced by three factors: interaction with patients, the nurse's use of their own resources, and exposure to stress (Coetzee, S. K., & Klopper, H. C. (2010). Compassion fatigue is divided into three stages. The first stage is compassion discomfort which can be reversed by rest and may include exhaustion, decreased enthusiasm, and weakening attention.
I look at nurses as like moms. As a mom, I recognize quicker about my children’s’ health than most people since I know them. A nurse is the front line to patient care because of their direct care experience. Advocating is acting to the limit of professional ability to provide for the client’s interest and needs as the patient defines them (Coffman, 2001, pg. 287).