Compassion Fatigue and Possible Solutions in Canadian Nursing: Personal Resilience as a Mitigating Factor
Overview
This research paper investigates compassion fatigue among Canadian nurses, defined as the declining empathetic ability resulting from repeated exposure to patient suffering. The study proposes that developing personal resilience and psychological capital can mitigate the effects of high-pressure healthcare environments and prevent compassion fatigue while improving professional competency and quality of life.
What this research paper covers
- Introduction and literature review on compassion fatigue concept, causes, and consequences in nursing
- Research proposal with primary research question on personal resilience as mitigation strategy
- Annotated bibliography entry analyzing Ledoux's systematic review of compassion fatigue definitions and assessment tools
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Compassion Fatigue and Possible Solutions in Canadian Nursing
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Compassion Fatigue and Possible Solutions in Canadian Nursing
Research Proposal
Compassion fatigue is a nursing concept that refers to the declining empathetic ability among caregivers from repeated exposure to their patients’ suffering. Empathetic care is primarily accepted as central to nursing practice, especially concerning the quality of care and patient outcomes. Although nursing is one of the largest professions in America, it also has the most significant shortage. An overburdened healthcare system has resulted in high patient-to-nurse ratios and erosion of nurses’ physical and emotional resources. Prolonged work stressors and frustration have been shown to impede nurses’ ability to demonstrate sympathetic awareness of patients’ pains or their desire to alleviate them (Austin et al., 2009). Several studies have investigated the phenomenon and determined that heavy workloads, ethical conflicts, limited social support, increased patient complexity, and perceived lack of personal time play a role in the onset of compassion fatigue.
The consequences of compassionate fatigue include emotional, physical, spiritual, intellectual, and social effects. Nurses suffering from compassionate fatigue are detached from their work, have higher clinical errors, and display behavioral problems. However, several preventative strategies have been proposed, including developing personal resilience, cultivating meaningful personal and professional relationships, and practicing self-care (Silva e Silva et al., 2020). This study will investigate the mitigating effects of personal resilience among nurses working in high-pressure healthcare environments.