March 31, 2016

Nursing: Keeping The ‘Care’ In Healthcare

On a day to day basis, nurses have a lot to take on. Juggling the responsibilities of caring for patients, keeping records updated, communicating to doctors and working extensive shifts.

All of these challenges can lead to both physical fatigue and eventually, compassion fatigue.

What is Compassion Fatigue?

According to CompasionFatigue.org

“Compassion Fatigue is a state experienced by helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create a secondary traumatic stress for the helper.”

For most people, the symptoms can be hiding in plain sight:

A sensation of feeling overwhelmed when dealing with patients
Struggling to manage the emotions that arise from patient deaths
Having to balance the demands of doctors and family members while performing day to day tasks
Being urged to discharge patients as quickly as possible.

If any of these seem to resonate with you, you’re not alone.

Many nurses experience compassion fatigue from time to time and struggle to relax and recharge when they have time off.

Compassion fatigue occurs because of a nurse’s exposure to their patients’ problems and their empathy that they hold for them. This combination can lead to a nurse falling into a deep unhappiness that may seem difficult to avoid.

Combating Compassion Fatigue

There are steps to combat compassion fatigue and even prevent it! Believe it or not, it’s important to confront the difficult emotions of sadness or grief that you may experience when dealing with a
patient’s suffering or death. Talking to a supervisor or peer about the situation helps. Other nurses find comfort in journaling about such hardships. Putting one’s thoughts to paper can help alleviate stress in a big way and leave you feeling with a sense of release, as if a burden was lifted off of your shoulders.

The nurses that are most susceptible to compassion fatigue are typically the ones who are most dedicated to their profession. Researchers say that it’s important for these nurses to recharge themselves, more than anyone else. Travel nurses can find comfort and relaxation by exploring new and exciting areas in their travel city. When traveling, it’s also important to stay connected with loved ones on a regular basis, whether it be through Skype or on the phone. Taking time out for yourself, will help you keep your compassion. strong.

Staying Ahead

To recap, there are several coping mechanisms that you can use to handle compassion fatigue or even prevent it.

Remember to take time out for yourself. Read something you enjoy or watch something to make you laugh. It’s important to leave time for you.
Stay healthy. Try to exercise several times a week and eat healthy. If your body feels healthy, so will your mind.
Don’t try to fight every battle. Choose the battles that are worth fighting.
Stay positive. If you fill your mind with positive thoughts, then you will quickly begin to see positive change!

Do You Have Compassion Fatigue?

Healthyplace.com has created a quick assessment to determine if someone has compassion fatigue or not. Unsure if you have compassion fatigue? Head over and give it a try.

http://www.healthyplace.com/psychological-tests/compassion-fatigue-self-assessment/

These are only several ways to overcome compassion fatigue. Check out the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project athttp://www.compassionfatigue.org/ to learn more.

The 2016 Nursing Industry Forecast

There is a lot of data to consider when trying to forecast the future of a particular sector of the healthcare sector.

Ardor Health Solutions recently compiled a brand new forecasting report for The Nursing Industry in 2016. The report crunches the numbers and looks deep into which way the nursing industry is trending.

Want to know more? Click below to view the report!