Compassion Fatigue
Compassion Fatigue
Question 1
Compassion fatigue refers to psychological and emotional complications that are work-related. There are different warning signs for the different concepts of compassion fatigue. One of the most outstanding warning signs for compassion fatigue is physical and emotional exhaustion. Caregivers are highly susceptible to instances of emotional exhaustion while handling patients who are in need of compassion. It is pertinent to outline that caregivers are human beings first. Regardless of their experience, it is difficult for caregivers to cope with some patients in view of their plight.
Another warning signal for compassion fatigue pertains to pessimism (Gupta, 2010). This occurs when the caregiver can barely find anything positive about different issues in life. In line with pessimism, compassion fatigue might also cause high levels of irritability. This is because such individuals are strongly prone to anger. The third notable warning sign for compassion fatigue pertains to anxiety. Patients suffering from compassion fatigue are prone to anxiety because of high levels of uncertainty. Another critical sign for compassion fatigue encompasses stress. Caregivers who are suffering from compassion fatigue endure extensive stress (Bush, 2009). Such stress emanates from the high demands of compassion care. The caregivers must empathize with the patients on a regular basis. This builds up emotional and physical stress in the patients.
Question 2
There are numerous problems that characterize caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue. Firstly, individuals suffering from compassion fatigue can barely provide the relevant standards of care to patients. This is because they lack the self-drive and natural motivation to offer health care services. Another problem with compassion fatigue is that the caregivers do not believe in the capacity of medical equipments and other facilities to provide the necessary services. Consequently, this undermines the standards of health care.
Trauma is also another notable problem with compassion fatigue. It comprises of a situation in which the caregiver experiences extensive stress as a result of the different challenges of compassion care (Espeland, 2006). When the caregiver is traumatized, he or she can barely attend to the patients’ needs. Additionally, trauma makes it difficult for the caregiver to approach life positively. Difficulty in sleeping is another significant problem with compassion fatigue. The burnout affects the caregivers so strongly that they cannot sleep properly. Additionally, the victims of compassion fatigue experience extensive deterioration of social interactions (Bush, 2009). This is because they develop negative perceptions about the world. All these perspectives indicate the nature of the problems and also their causes.
Question 3
All caregivers have numerous needs that help them in avoiding serious complications such as compassion fatigue. In essence, there are three main categories for the needs of caregivers. The first category pertains to the emotional needs. It is fundamentally essential to highlight that all caregivers have numerous extensive emotional needs. Such needs comprise of psychological wellbeing as well as mental aspects of care.
The psychological wellbeing of caregivers is an essential attribute that affects their capacity to offer the relevant standards of health care (Espeland, 2006). When caregivers have psychological disorders, it is difficult for them to maintain the appropriate standards. It is extremely crucial for caregivers to be emotionally strong. The second category of the needs for patients comprises of spirituality. The health care profession is extremely sensitive and requires an excellent basis for spiritualism.
In essence, spiritualism helps the caregiver to approach the patient’s problems as if they were personal. The spiritual needs are also helpful in enabling the caregiver to interact appropriately with different people. Religious perspectives are essential components of the spiritual needs of caregivers. The third category involves physical needs (Ekedahl, 2008). It is fundamentally essential to note that caregivers have extensive physical needs that influence the quality of patient care. Such needs include motivations and encouragements. Additionally, financial incentives are essential components of the physical needs of caregivers (Bush, 2009). These kinds of incentives are vital in terms of dealing with the potential lack of motivation.
Question 4
There are numerous strategies available for coping with compassion fatigue. Firstly, regular exercises are vital in alleviating the enormous pressure of compassion fatigues. Such exercises help the caregiver to sift attention from the rigors and challenges of health care. The second approach for coping with compassion fatigue pertains to the maintenance of a personal life. For instance, it is essential for the caregiver to focus upon family connections. Such relationships are instrumental towards enhancing the caregiver’s capacity to deal with compassion fatigue and burnout.
Family members are extremely sympathetic and helpful in coping with most forms of emotional challenges (Gupta, 2010). Apart from the family input, it is also vital for the caregiver to have some sense of humor. Sense of humor is beneficial in terms of enabling the caregiver to cope with stress and other forms of psychological imbalances. It is also extremely pertinent to avoid any kind of indulgence in non-prescriptive drugs. Such drugs can undermine the capacity of the caregiver to deal with the various complications of compassion fatigue (Espeland, 2006). Additionally, counseling can also be helpful in terms of alleviating compassion fatigue.
References
Bush, N. (2009). Compassion Fatigue: Are you at Risk? Oncology Nursing Forum, 36(1)
Ekedahl, M & Wengstrom, Y. (2008). Coping Processes in a Multidisciplinary Healthcare Team. European Journal of Cancer Care, 17(1)
Espeland, K, (2006). Overcoming Burnout: How to Revitalize Your Career. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 37(4)
Gupta, V. and Woodman, V. (2010). Managing Stress in a Palliative Care Team. Pediatric Nursing, 22(10)
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