Running head: COMPASSION FATIGUE

Compassion Fatigue

Jessica Schultz

Brigham Young University Idaho

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What does compassion fatigue mean?

Compassion fatigue is a severe exhaustion that results from the strain of

caregiving. Prolonged, continuous, and intense caring for patients and families that are

dealing with stressful changes can lead to compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue can be

described as the combination of burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Burnout involves

emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. Secondary traumatic stress is caused by

feelings of pressure, anxiety, as well as many other negative emotions that accompany

caring for others who have experienced traumatic events. If compassion fatigue is not

caught and taken care of early on, it can affect the ability of the individual to care for

others permanently (Boyle, 2011) (Kelly, 2015).

What are symptoms of compassion fatigue?

There are various symptoms that can indicate the onset of compassion fatigue.

Emotional changes can occur as a result of compassion fatigue such as, anger, apathy,

desensitization, discouragement, flashbacks, feelings of being overwhelmed or hopeless,

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irritability, decreased enthusiasm, or sarcasm. There are also intellectual signs that can be

detected such as, boredom, disorderliness, impaired concentration, and a lessened

attention to detail. Physical symptoms that can be noticed on an individual experiencing

compassion fatigue are, an increased amount of complaints, loss of energy, loss of

endurance, loss of strength, increase in accidents, sense of fatigue, and exhaustion. Social

life changes that can occur are, rudeness, feelings of being left out, difficulty sharing or

alleviating suffering, indifference, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed,

unresponsiveness, or a withdrawal from family and friends. Spirituality is also often

affected when facing compassion fatigue. The individual may notice a decrease and

disinterest in self-analysis, a lack of spiritual awareness, or an increase in poor judgment.

Maybe one of the most detrimental effects of compassion fatigue is the affect it has ones

work ethic. Compassion fatigue can cause an increase in being absent, ignoring patient

problems, a desire to quit, a decrease in job performance quality, and tardiness. Although

the effects of compassion fatigue can be detrimental, there are ways to prevent and lessen

the symptoms of compassion fatigue (Boyle, 2011).

What can be done to assist caregivers with compassion fatigue?

One of the most effective ways to prevent and cope with the symptoms of

compassion fatigue is to make time for self care. Self care or me time is a period of

time in which an individual does an activity that they find pleasure in; this helps to

eliminate stress and boost feelings of happiness. When individuals do not properly care

for themselves, their patients become something that gets in the way of their lives, rather

than being a part of it. This thought process ends up with caregivers growing tired and
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annoyed with their patients; leading to compassion fatigue and burnout. Being fully

focused and involved in the interactions one has with their patients can help alleviate the

stress that comes from always worrying about better things they could be doing. Other

factors that can play a role in decreasing symptoms of compassion fatigue are, adequate

sleep, nutrition, and support from colleagues, friends, and family (Marr, 2009).

References

Boyle, D. A. (2011, January 31). Countering Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing

Agenda. Retrieved March 19, 2017, from

http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPerio

dicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-16-2011/No1-Jan-2011/Countering-

Compassion-Fatigue.html

Kelly, L., Runge, J., & Spencer, C. (2015). Predictors of Compassion Fatigue and

Compassion Satisfaction in Acute Care Nurses. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship,

47(6), 522-528. doi:10.1111/jnu.12162Mayo Clinic Staff. (2016, November 03).

Urinary tract infection (UTI) Prevention. Retrieved March 12, 2017, from

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-

infection/basics/prevention/con-20037892

Marr, L. (2009). Can Compassion Fatigue?. Journal Of Palliative Medicine, 12(8), 739-

740. doi:10.1089/jpm.2009.9577
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