...Compassion Fatigue Keri McDuffie Grand Canyon University: HLT 310 May 29, 2013 Introduction Compassion fatigue was first indentified by Jonson in 1992 when she noticed a group of nurses in the Emergency Department who seemed to have lost their ability to nurture. (Coetzee, Klopper 2010) Compassion fatigue, although identified a decade ago, was never really clarified, defined or explored, leaving nurses predominantly disposition to compassion fatigue unaware of how to identify or how to prevent it from happening. Nurses can experience compassion fatigue when they too begin to feel similar fear, pain and suffering their patients are experiencing, indirectly taking on the patients feelings as their own. Symptoms are gradual in the beginning, with the symptoms like weariness and malaises to altering the nurse’s ability to cope with stress ultimately having negative psychological and physical consequences. (Boyle 2011) Boyle (2011) describes those at highest risk for developing compassion fatigue are those who are on the front lines of medicine, those who absorb traumatic stress of those they help. While many first responders like firefighters, police and paramedics readily have complex training and debriefing modules to help them cope with the traumatic situations (Boyle 2011) they encounter every day, nurses do not. Nurses often have an ongoing relationship with their patient care and are responsible for the patient 24 hours a day, daily having to respond to acute care...
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...Combating Burnout and Compassion Fatigue: Care Givers and Pr0 0 0 0Share x Download PresentationCommentsYour comment has been successfully placed! You already posted comment on this presentation. Comments are disabled! Comment deleted successfully Added: 07-04-2010 Views: 8684Add to Favorites Feature This! Innappropiate Please Login to flag this presentation! Your inappropriate request is sent successfully! Failed to send your inappropiate request! Please login to send a feature request! Your feature quest has been sent successfuly! Error while send your feature request! Favorited Successfully! Favorite Failed! Already Added! Login To Add! Cannot favorite your own presentation! Description:Burnout and compassion fatigue definitions, signs, symptoms, strategies to recognize, prevent and overcome them from a physical, emotional and spiritual perspective. This is for health care workers, and care takers of sick family members. There are speaker notes for this presentation too. If you would like a copy please email me here or at my email address located on the first slide. ChannelsSports / Games Education / Career Fashion / Beauty Graphics / Design News / Politics Tagshealth care care takers burn out compassion fatigue nursing stress emergency self care respite care. Combating Burnout and Compassion Fatigue: Care Givers and Pr - Transcript Combating Burnout...
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...A Tool to Help Heath Care Professionals Cope A Tool to Help Heath Care Professionals Cope Compassion Fatigue Compassion Fatigue What is Compassion Fatigue? Caring too much can hurt. When caregivers focus on others without practicing self-care, destructive behaviors can surface. Apathy, isolation, bottled up emotions and substance abuse head a long list of symptoms associated with the secondary traumatic stress disorder now labeled: Compassion Fatigue. This used to be labeled as burnout and is a deep physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion, which can include feeling actual pain. Caregivers such as nurses and physicians as well as families may become less empathetic and unable to give their all to their patients. Learning to recognize the signs and symptoms is the first step towards combatting this problem. Some Key Points * Compassion fatigue is a form of burnout that manifests itself as physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion * To prevent or recover from compassion fatigue, take time for self-reflection, identify what's important and live in a way that reflects it * To sustain yourself at work, develop “principles of practice” — guidelines of personal integrity that articulate the parameters of your personal values. Commit to live and work within these principles. What is Compassion Fatigue? Caring too much can hurt. When caregivers focus on others without practicing self-care, destructive behaviors can surface. Apathy, isolation, bottled up emotions...
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...during my previous nursing experience, many thoughts come to mind. I start exploring myself and start creating a picture of myself when I delivered care to my patient’s during and after my BSN. What I have recovered is beyond my imagination. Below are the points which I want to share regarding my nursing experience and compassionate care during my previous care delivered to my clients. As I start, I go through my all the years of nursing. When I entered into the first year of nursing, my feelings towards my profession were too different from now a day. This is the actual and true feelings which I came to know while comparing the care given to patients at that time and care given to patients while this course. I was a new fresh child who loves to be with her patient and try to solve all issues of my client. According to me, at that time nursing care is valuing others, concern for the patient’s well-being and empathy towards others. During my first two years of nursing, I developed the concept of delivering compassionate care towards the client. Conducting this self-reflection has allowed me to express all my feelings, emotions and experiences in hospital and class time. What I learn through my class teachings is much same as one of my previous learning during my BSN program. The difference is only self-awareness about the care towards patients. This course provides a wide opportunity to develop mastery in skills of nursing which help us to learn modern nursing with feelings of...
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...helping people in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it is traumatizing for the helper. (Chapman 2007). Definition • Compassion : Sorrow for the suffering or trouble of others accompanied by the urge to help. • Fatigue : is physical and or mental exhaustion. Causes of Compassion Fatigue • Someone highly task and goal oriented. • • • • • A perfectionist. An individual who tends to be overly critical but cannot stand criticism. An inability to allow personal satisfaction. High personal expectations and exaggerated expectations of others. Someone whose work and "productive" activity is overvalued and provides the major source of self-esteem and pleasure (Dwyer, 2006) Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue • • • • Physical indications Psychological indication Spiritual indication Performance indication (Funk, J.R. n.d). Warning Signs of Compassion Fatigue • Exhaustion. • • • Detachment Depression. Disorientation • • • • • Change of work style Boredom and cynicism A sense of omnipotence Feelings of Being Unappreciated. Increased impatience and irritability (Funk, J.R. n.d). Physical needs of the caregiver • • • Diet Sleep Fighting Fatigue • • Exercise Relaxation (Chapman, 2007). Emotional needs of the caregiver • • • A true friend Laughing/ happiness Emotional Support • Personal satisfaction (Chapman, 2007). Spiritual...
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...Nursing is commonly viewed as the most selfless and compassionate job among all professionals. Majority of the nurses joined the workforce to help others. Considerate and kind nurses can, however, become a causality of a poor patient’s outcomes if not given the proper support and adequate staffing. Burnout due to heavy workload and understaffing remains one of the major problems in the nursing profession, nevertheless minimal effort is being allocated to solve the crisis. For the purpose of this paper, I will focus on the structure of self-scheduling, its benefits and disadvantages as well as its relevance in the Canadian nursing leadership practice. I will also provide background information of nursing burn out and the current solutions that...
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...Week 5 1) Considering that burnout has been related to the amount and type of work done along with the type of work that you do or hope to do, are you at risk for burnout? Why? No, I do not believe that I am a candidate for burnout. I work with children and they change every year and there is never a dull moment so it doesn’t become monotone, boring, and repitious, which all is a clear description of burnout. 2) Describe some of the effects that secondary traumatic stress can have on professional capability. This can have detrimental effects on individuals, both professionally and personally, including a decrease in productivity, the inability to focus, and the development of new feelings of incompetency and self doubt. 3) Review the factors that contribute and explain burnout on page 89. Have you ever experienced these in your professional experience? I can honestly say that I believe everyone over some period of time experiences those symptoms or something similar to those symptoms. It is just a part of having a steady career that has to do with a repetitious field. How you handle the day to day or how you chose to see your daily career may make or break the fine line between a rut and burnout. Week 6 1) Describe some of the ways humor helps relieve stress related to trauma (physiologic and therapeutic.) I’ve independently read that laughing releases endorphins that help you calm and relieve stress. I have also learned that changing...
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...Countering Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda Deborah A. Boyle, MSN, RN, AOCNS®, FAAN Abstract Nurses have a longstanding history of witnessing the tragedy experienced by patients and families; however, their own reactions to profound loss and premature death have not been systematically addressed. There is a paucity of research describing interventions to prevent or minimize the ramifications of repeated exposure to traumatic events in the clinical workplace. Compassion fatigue is a contemporary label affixed to the concept of personal vicarious exposure to trauma on a regular basis. Yet this phenomenon of compassion fatigue lacks clarity. In this article, the author begins by describing compassion fatigue and distinguishing compassion fatigue from burnout. Next she discusses risk factors for, and the assessment of compassion fatigue. The need to support nurses who witness tragedy and workplace interventions to confront compassion fatigue are described. Citation: Boyle, D., (Jan 31, 2011) "Countering Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 16, No. 1, Manuscript 2. DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol16No01Man02 Key words: Compassion fatigue, nurse stress, work setting improvements, communication skills Nurses care for ill, wounded, traumatized, and vulnerable patients in their charge. This exposes them to considerable pain, trauma, and suffering on a routine basis (Coetzee & Klopper, 2010; Hooper, Craig, Janvrin, Wetzel...
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...Burn Out * To be burn out: * A state of emotional exhaustion caused by the stresses of one’s job, responsibilities, work environment or lack of support. * Compassion Fatigue Syndrome: * A physical, emotional and spiritual fatigue or exhaustion that takes over a person and causes a decline in their ability to experience joy or feel and care for others. * Phases of Compassion Fatigue: * Idealist Phase: A. Motivated by idealism B. Ready to serve & problem solve C. Desires to contribute & make a difference D. Volunteers to help E. Full of energy & enthusiasm * Irritability Phase A. Cuts corners B. Avoid client contact C. Mock peers & client D. Underestimates own efforts at wellness E. Loss concentration & focus F. Distance oneself from others * Withdrawal Phase A. Loses patience with clients B. Become defensive C. Neglects self & others D. Chronically fatigued E. Loses hope F. Views oneself as a victim & isolates oneself * Zombie Phase A. Views others as ignorant or incompetent B. Loses, patience, sense of humor & zest for life C. Dislike others D. Becomes easily enraged Signs and Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue Work Related * Avoidance or dread of working with certain patients * Reduced ability to feel empathy towards patients or families * Frequent use of sick...
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...Theoretical Framework of Compassion Fatigue September 11, 2014 Theoretical Framework of Compassion Fatigue Compassion fatigue, which is also known, as secondary traumatic stress is a natural effect that occurs as a result of taking care of patients who are in pain, stressed, suffering, or traumatized. Compassion fatigue commonly affects nurses who show extreme empathy for patients and their relatives. Empathy is the act of putting oneself in another person’s situation or understanding one's feelings (Walker & Alligood, 2001). It has always been a nurse’s role to show empathy to patients and their relatives. In the process of sympathizing and empathizing, nurses can easily develop compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue affects nurses physically, psychologically, and spiritually in addition to affecting their daily duties. Nurses may intentionally stop working with certain patients or reduce their empathy for patients, and others may have repetitive call-ins to avoid working specific patient populations. These adverse effects can easily lower hospital or institution productivity. Therefore, it is advisable for nurses to be encouraged to seek advice and counseling from counselors, mentors, psychologists, and other responsible persons. It is also necessary for nurses to be aware of the symptoms of compassion fatigue to facilitate taking preventative measures as early as possible. The compassion fatigue theory is connected to the relationship between the patient and the...
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...Combating Compassion Fatigue Christina Churu Grand Canyon University Spirituality in Health Care HLT 310 V August 12, 2012 Combating Compassion Fatigue (Gilmore, 2012) states that compassion fatigue is not just being overwhelmed by the demands of the job but that it is a behavioral response that usually occurs to people who are constantly helping people who are sick and suffering .Nursing is a caring profession and people are drawn to the profession because they love to care and to be compassionate .There comes a time during the care giving process that the care we give to the patients become personal and start taking a toll on our physical ,psychological and spiritual health.(Bush, 20090 states that in compassion fatigue not only do the environmental factors of work negatively affect care givers but also the physical demands of the patients such as pain and discomfort and emotional needs such as fear and anxiety..Care givers should be able to recognize the signs of compassion fatigue so that help can seek medical treatment early before the symptoms start to take a severe toll on the care giver’s health. (Gilmore, 2012, p. 20) noted that the things that draw nurses to caring such as providing compassion and support to the patients are the very things that cause nurses to suffer from compassion fatigue .I personally feel that compassion fatigue is when we spend time with the patients ,getting to know them more and during the process we love the patients more...
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...Introduction The nursing profession is unique in that in it exposes the nurse to daily inaction with patients that are in need of urgent and life-threating emergencies that challenge the nurse to use complex cognitive skills to care for that patient and their family. Daily the nurse is faced with pain, trauma and suffering of the patient. These stresses along with environmental stressors can lead to compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is defined as a combination of physical, emotional and spiritual depletion that is linked to caring for patients and their families. As the nurse loses control over personal interactions with patients and their families, and emotionally over steps the boundaries between the patient’s distress and the nurse’s ability not distance themselves emotionally from the patient, compassion fatigue sets in. Compassion fatigue is caused by the empathy the nurse has for patients. It is a natural consequence of stress that can result from becoming emotionally connected to a patient and their family while providing care. Nursing is a care profession. We are drawn to become nurses because we a heart and care about others. Nurses are the only population group at risk for experiencing compassion fatigue; anyone in a “help” associated profession is at risk. All who work in healthcare need to be aware of compassion fatigue, the risks, the warning signs and coping mechanisms. Warning Signs of Compassion Fatigue Compassion fatigue symptoms develop...
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...addressed in depth. Compassion fatigue is a label stuck to the caregiver who becomes victim to continued strain in meeting the needs of patients and families suffering from critical, traumatic, or end-of-life needs. Because of compassion fatigue, the emotional, mental, and physical health of the nurse is at stake. Little has been done to prevent compassion fatigue in the workplace. However, voices are beginning to advocate for nurses who are in the trenches day in and day out by initiating compassion fatigue interventions. These include mentorship programs, educating healthcare staff on compassion fatigue symptoms, and speaking to state legislators who are able to enact change in the healthcare setting. The implications of personal health, patient satisfaction, job satisfaction, and joyfulness are in jeopardy. Keywords: compassion fatigue, empathetic care, psychological demands, compassion fatigue interventions, compassion fatigue prevention, compassion fatigue symptoms, patient satisfaction, job satisfaction, mentorship programs A new nurse and her preceptor have a seven patient assignment. The preceptor is called away to attend to another matter, leaving the new nurse alone to care for seven patients, including an end-of-life-care patient. The new nurse is anxious and mortified. Her task is to inject Roxanol and Ativan every hour into a person who is unconscious but breathing and with a palpable pulse. There was no training in nursing school on how to deal...
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...Compassion is a principal element of nursing. It’s an innate response to react with compassion when observing the emotional and physical turmoil of another human being. It is an imperative characteristic of a successful and effectual nurse. Compassion fatigue is a peculiar condition with healthcare givers and those in the healthcare. People or health care providers who are taking care of others, trying to handle stressful situations are especially susceptible to compassion fatigue. While compassion fatigue has been observed in professional caregivers and discussed in the literature over the past two decades, a specific definition of its characteristics and corollaries has not been uniformly embraced (Coetzee & Klopper, 2010; Najjar, Davis, Beck-Coon, & Doebbeling, 2009). Compassion fatigue characterizes a progressive state of emotional unease. It evolves from compassion discomfort, to compassion stress, and finally to compassion fatigue, a state where the compassion energy that is expended by nurses (and others) surpasses their ability to recover from this energy expenditure, resulting in significant negative psychological and physical consequences (ANA,2011) Nurses are particularly vulnerable to compassion fatigue. They often enter the lives of others at very critical junctures and become partners, rather than observers, in patients’ healthcare journeys. Acute care nurses in particular often develop empathic engagement with patients and families. This coupled with...
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...Occupational Therapy and Compassion Fatigue: How to help the caregiver get care By Randi Johnson Hanson MSRS, OTR/L The topic of “Compassion Fatigue” has been a hot topic within the caregiving profession of nursing in the past decade. Joinson (1992) defines compassion fatigue as “a unique and expanded form of burnout in which the environmental stressors of the workplace coupled with the patient’s physical and emotional needs contributes to the caregiver becoming tired, depressed, angry, ineffective, apathetic and detached”. Given the psychosocial demands of occupational therapy as a hands-on caregiving profession, it is my proposal that we look at compassion fatigue within the realm of O.T. and how to help prevent it and how to refresh and renew ourselves in order to best meet our patient’s needs. As an occupational therapist, part of our practice involves helping our patients determine what their optimal level of function is given any underlying deficits. We may see people with psychological deficits (TBI, DD, and mental illness), physical deficits and age related deficits and it is our job to get them “back to the highest level of independence possible”. As with any caring profession, as OT’s we may take on the burdens and issues of our patients as our own. Under normal circumstances, this can be helpful in planning goals and treatment modalities, but if we start to experience compassion fatigue, we may be actually internalizing the traumas of our patients to the point...
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