Hospitals are exerting more effort to combat nurses' compassion fatigue, which is a combination of secondary traumatic stress and burnout that leaves caregivers feeling less empathetic and even dreading encounters with certain patients, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Symptoms of compassion fatigue include: reduced ability to feel empathy, frequent use of sick days, lack of joyfulness, dread of working with certain patients, headaches, sleep imbalance, depression, mood swings and other emotional problems. The condition can result in high nurse turnover, reduced patient safety, reduced patient satisfaction and higher death rates.
Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis is one hospital offering a program to address compassion fatigue. The initiative was launched after an employee survey identified symptoms, such as those mentioned above, that required intervention. Nurses have access to stress-reduction workshops, meditation, group discussions on difficult patient cases, support groups and staff retreats that focus on the emotions involved in caregiving.
Get in the Know Before They Go: 8 Points on Exit Interviews in Hospitals
The Unhappy Physician: Why Hospitals Need to Take Morale Seriously
Symptoms of compassion fatigue include: reduced ability to feel empathy, frequent use of sick days, lack of joyfulness, dread of working with certain patients, headaches, sleep imbalance, depression, mood swings and other emotional problems. The condition can result in high nurse turnover, reduced patient safety, reduced patient satisfaction and higher death rates.
Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis is one hospital offering a program to address compassion fatigue. The initiative was launched after an employee survey identified symptoms, such as those mentioned above, that required intervention. Nurses have access to stress-reduction workshops, meditation, group discussions on difficult patient cases, support groups and staff retreats that focus on the emotions involved in caregiving.
Related Articles on Hospital Employee Morale:
Survey: 73% of Physicians "Not Excited" About Future of MedicineGet in the Know Before They Go: 8 Points on Exit Interviews in Hospitals
The Unhappy Physician: Why Hospitals Need to Take Morale Seriously