Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Compassion Fatigue
Carlie Eaves
Compassion Fatigue
Late nights at the hospital, double shifts, patients with critical and constant needs,
seemingly endless to-do lists; all these things are common experiences and challenges for a
nurse. With all they do on a daily basis, it seems as if nurses have an infinite capacity to lift those
around them and show limitless amounts of compassion to their patients. Unfortunately, this is
not the case. Though nurses have an extraordinary ability to show compassion, they are limited
as to how much they can give before experiencing negative effects to their health and well-being,
The concept of compassion fatigue is broad and covers many other work-related
disorders. For this reason, it is difficult to develop one definition to define the term. According to
the American Nurse Today journal, “compassion fatigue has been defined as loss of satisfaction
that comes from doing one’s job well, or job-related distress that outweighs job satisfaction”
(Sheppard, 2016, para. 3). When the costs of a job on a nurse’s health, social skills, family life,
and spiritual well-being becomes greater than the benefits of providing nursing care, then the
nurse becomes overwhelmed and is not able to continue providing the highest quality nursing
care. This leads the nurse to become discouraged and possibly leave the profession or find a new
There is a cost to caring. Professionals who listen to client’s stories of fear, pain and
suffering may feel similar fear, pain, and suffering because they care. Sometimes we feel
we are losing our sense of self to the clients we serve. (2017, p. 305)
COMPASSION FATIGUE 3
Though caring is not inherently bad, an overload in the compassion a nurse must give every day
coupled with low amounts of praise and recognition can cause the nurse, as Brint explained, to
lose his or her sense of self and become dissatisfied with the work he or she is performing.
This dissatisfaction is not a sudden occurrence, but, rather, comes after several weeks or
Administration states,
Compassion fatigue is the final result of a progressive and cumulative process, which is
caused by prolonged, continuous, and intense contact with patients, the use of self and
exposure to stress, which manifests with marked physical, social, emotional, spiritual,
and intellectual changes that increase in intensity. (Neville & Cole, 2013, p. 348)
The root of compassion fatigue is not the nursing skills or the difficult patients, rather,
compassion fatigue stems from continuously providing nursing care to patients while sacrificing
the nurse’s health in the process. This can lead to physical manifestations in the nurse that can
It is difficult to form a concrete diagnosis of compassion fatigue due to the variance of its
manifestations. Though some nurses experiencing compassion fatigue will have symptoms that
are quite visible, it is easy to attribute these to the normal stress of the profession or to an
occasional bad day. On the other hand, some nurses will be experiencing extreme compassion
fatigue, yet it is only manifested by slight decreases in their level of performance. According to
Professor Lindsay Ann Bouchard, nurses that are suffering from compassion fatigue may
emotional distancing from patients, and negative effects on their personal lives” (2016, p. 14).
COMPASSION FATIGUE 4
Though these symptoms may seem minor, they can have a significant effect on the nurse’s
ability to perform essential work-related tasks, which could cause the nurse to make a mistake
Other symptoms that are often overlooked include queasiness when driving to work,
headaches, backaches, “[nurses] may be short-tempered, sarcastic, or rude to colleagues and even
to patients of families. They may appear tired and may become more easily startled” (Sheppard,
2016, p. 8). In one nurse’s experience, “I wanted to care for my patients, but I lacked the time
and energy to care for myself” (Brint, 2017, p. 302). A nurse experiencing compassion fatigue
may feel like he or she can never perform all the tasks he or she is required to do each day and
may feel helpless when providing patient care, especially for patients with critical needs or
terminal diagnoses. Unfortunately, these symptoms are often overlooked in the clinical setting as
normal for the job. However, these manifestations are warnings that the nurse is in need of
assistance. If caught early, nurses experiencing compassion fatigue can be guided to resources
that can help them learn how to cope with the stresses of their profession and find joy in giving
nursing care.
Though the study and treatment of compassion fatigue is only recently gaining
momentum, there are several resources for nurses experiencing this work-related stress. Though
treatment suggestions may seem simple and trivial, nurses that apply these principles have a
much easier time finding joy and satisfaction in their work. According to Brint, “self-care
journaling, exercise, good nutrition, and other such self-care measures have been recommended”
(2107, p. 301). Nurses that take time to care for their physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional
COMPASSION FATIGUE 5
health and well-being are better able to assist their patients in meeting those same needs. A very
simple practice that can help combat feelings of compassion fatigue is called mindfulness. This is
the practice of being aware of one’s body and the stressors that affect it. Sheppard explains how
To practice mindfulness, take note of the present…You may notice physical or mental
feelings of pain, fatigue, or pleasure. If you feel pain, ask yourself what your body or
mind is trying to tell you—and address those concerns…Mindfulness can reduce stress
and anxiety and improve your physical and mental well-being. Through self-reflection
and mindfulness, you allow yourself to consider events and triggers, learn from them,
Though mindfulness may seem simple, it allows the brain to sort through all the emotions a
nurse may experience. As the brain comes to better understand the situation then the body will
also become calmer and the physical symptoms of compassion fatigue will also decrease.
Though the study of compassion fatigue is only recently coming to light as a significant
problem in nursing, there are more resources for nurses who are struggling. In addition, “The
American Holistic Nurses Association has addressed the need for self-care, self-responsibility,
spirituality, and reflection to be integrated into nurses’ lives as a standard of practice” (Neville &
Cole, 2013, p. 350). This will lead to more compassion fatigue prevention programs in hospitals
and other caregiving facilities and hopefully create an increased awareness in all nurses. As
nurses continue to become educated on compassion fatigue, they will be better equipped to
combat it and provide more satisfactory nursing care, both beneficial for them and for their
patients.
Conclusion
COMPASSION FATIGUE 6
The blaring alarms, constant emotional strain of caring for patients, overwhelming
morning medication administration list, and occasionally rude parents of a sick child can be
taxing to a nurse. However, the nurse can prevent compassion fatigue in herself and provide
better patient care as she recognizes warning signs of compassion fatigue and balances her work
life with her emotional, spiritual and temporal needs. These actions will allow the nurse to
provide the best patient-centered care and have more self-confidence as she performs her nursing
tasks.
COMPASSION FATIGUE 7
References
http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/622932
Neville, K., & Cole, D. (2013). The relationships among health promotion behaviors,
community medical center. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(6), 348-
from http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&NEWS=n&CSC=Y&PAGE=fulltext&D
=ovft&AN=00005110-201306000-00011
Sheppard, K. (2016). Compassion fatigue: Are you at risk? American Nurse Today, 11(1), 53-55.
Compassion-Fatigue-1222.pdf