SNHP | Senior Nursing Poster Session
Recognizing Compassion Fatigue in Nurses
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Nursing
Minor
None
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Hobbs & Ms. Ballard
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Compassion fatigue is defined as the “loss of the ability to nurture” or “a state of significant depletion or exhaustion of the nurse’s store of compassion, resulting from repeated activation over time of empathic and sympathetic responses to pain and distress in patients and in loved ones”. The stress in compassion fatigue is triggered from the nurse’s involvement in relationships with patients and families in which the nurse witnesses trauma or suffering of patients. Compassion fatigue causes physical, mental, and spiritual symptoms in the nurse such as sadness, depression, sleeplessness, general anxiety, lack of confidence, decreased function in the workplace, irritability, and usually feel as if they have failed at their profession. These symptoms in nurses can affect their work ethic which can lead to low quality patient care. It is extremely important to recognize these symptoms in nurses and provide them with support instead of judgement since it is a very common issue.
Affiliations
Nursing
Recognizing Compassion Fatigue in Nurses
Compassion fatigue is defined as the “loss of the ability to nurture” or “a state of significant depletion or exhaustion of the nurse’s store of compassion, resulting from repeated activation over time of empathic and sympathetic responses to pain and distress in patients and in loved ones”. The stress in compassion fatigue is triggered from the nurse’s involvement in relationships with patients and families in which the nurse witnesses trauma or suffering of patients. Compassion fatigue causes physical, mental, and spiritual symptoms in the nurse such as sadness, depression, sleeplessness, general anxiety, lack of confidence, decreased function in the workplace, irritability, and usually feel as if they have failed at their profession. These symptoms in nurses can affect their work ethic which can lead to low quality patient care. It is extremely important to recognize these symptoms in nurses and provide them with support instead of judgement since it is a very common issue.