Causes and Effects of Compassion Fatigue Essay 

Concept Analysis Assignment

Introduction

A concept analysis is a structured process which provides nurses with the meaning for a nursing theory and lays the foundation for application of the concept in nursing practice. The following paper will discuss compassion fatigue as it relates to nursing and briefly describe the nursing theory utilized. The theoretical model that supports the compassion fatigue concept is Jean Watson’s theory of human caring. According to Sitzman and Watson (2014) self-care is an essential part of being able to effectively care for and support a healing environment for others. This paper will include the following sections: a definition/explanation of compassion fatigue, literature review, defining attributes, antecedent and consequences related to compassion fatigue, empirical referents, construct cases, and theoretical applications of compassion fatigue in nursing.Causes and Effects of Compassion Fatigue Essay Paper

Definition/explanation of concept

Nurses are often considered caring and compassionate individuals. Nurses are continuously giving oneself to put others needs before their own. Peters (2018) states “compassion, empathetic ability, high use of self, and maintaining composure in stressful situations are reasons nurses are excellent caregivers.” As nurses experience stressful and traumatic situations throughout their work day, they can develop compassion fatigue. Sheppard (2015) explains that compassion fatigue may result when a nurse loses satisfaction from doing their job well, or other job-related distress that outweighs job satisfaction. Sacco (2017) states “In caring for severely ill patients and their families, frequently in stressful settings, it is recognized that nurses experience the negative physical and mental health manifestations of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue.” Being exposed to traumatic or emotional experiences by our patients leaves us feeling emotionally distraught at the end of the day. As we form close bonds with our patient’s we put ourselves at higher risk for experiencing compassion fatigue. Nurses may leave the nursing profession because they experience career dissatisfaction, poor job satisfaction, and feelings of spiritual emptiness which resulted from compassion fatigue (Harris & Griffin, 2015). Causes and Effects of Compassion Fatigue Essay Paper

Literature review

In a review of current nursing literature, the common theme amongst articles is that compassion fatigue can happen to any nurse and can be unpredictable. Throughout the nursing literature, researchers have taken on different perspectives on the concept of compassion fatigue. The nursing profession is both physically and emotionally demanding. Harris and Griffin (2015) define compassion fatigue as “physical, emotional, and spiritual result of chronic self-sacrifice and/or prolonged exposure to difficult situations that renders a person unable to love, nurture, care for, or empathize with another’s suffering.” Repeated exposure to emotional events results in nurses losing stamina and their motivation to care for patients effectively. Mennella and Pravikoff (2108) state that compassion fatigue has been identified as the main stress experienced in the nursing profession. Compassion fatigue has the ability to cause psychological and emotional distress in nurses who are continuously exposed to traumatic and emotional events while on the job. According to Hunsaker, Chen, Maughan, and Heaston (2015) described nurses affected by compassion fatigue as becoming ineffective in their work, depressed, apathetic, and emotionally detached from their patients. In an article by Sheppard (2015) she describes how burnout or compassion fatigue can result from certain conditions such as long work hours, short-staffing, workplace incivility, and feelings of dismissal or invalidation by their managers. Sacco (2017) describes nurses that have the most empathy, are at the greatest risk for developing compassion fatigue. In an article by Nolte, Downing, Temane and Hastings (2017) they describe specific consequences that may result from compassion fatigue which include fear, anxiety, hypervigilance, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, feeling burdened, fatigued and overwhelmed. Overall, the literature shows many negative effects compassion fatigue can have on any healthcare provider. Causes and Effects of Compassion Fatigue Essay Paper

Defining attributes

Peters (2018) describes four essential attributes of compassion fatigue which include, diminished endurance/energy, declining empathic ability, helplessness/hopelessness, and emotional exhaustion. When you develop a close relationship with a patient and they pass away, you feel as if you could have done more and begin to place blame on oneself. Overtime, this repeated exposure begins to take its toll on a nurse’s wellbeing which then leads to compassion fatigue. Berger, Polka, Smoot, and Owen (2015) describe compassion fatigue as being responsible for the development of stress-related symptoms and job dissatisfaction among caregivers which leads to decreased productivity, increased sick days, and job turnover resulting in negative consequences for patients and employers. Sheppard (2015) states that “nurses who skip breaks, take extra shifts, or come in on their days off out of sense of duty may be more at risk for compassion fatigue.” Repeated exposure to stressful situations puts healthcare providers at the greatest risk of developing compassion fatigue. Causes and Effects of Compassion Fatigue Essay Paper