Understanding Compassion Fatigue in Nursing

Understanding Compassion Fatigue in Nursing

Many people who go into nursing do it because they have a desire to help people. They start out compassionate and empathetic. 

In the best scenario, nurses maintain their level of compassion and caring throughout their career. 

Unfortunately, in some cases, the stressors of the job lead to a decrease in empathy, burnout and sometimes compassion fatigue.

If you are a nursing student or a new grad, it may seem too early to talk about compassion fatigue. But the earlier you recognize what compassion fatigue is and how it develops, you can take the steps necessary to prevent it.

What is Compassion Fatigue?

Compassion fatigue is a decreased ability to feel compassion and empathy towards your patients. It develops over time due to physical and emotional exhaustion from caring for the sick and injured.

Anyone who works in the medical field and provides direct patient care is at risk for compassion fatigue. But nurses tend to develop it at higher rates than other healthcare team members. This may occur because nurses often have the most direct patient care contact.

Although not everyone who works in healthcare has a decrease in compassion, it can be a common problem for many. According to a study published in the Journal of Emergency Nursing, anywhere from 15 to 85 percent of healthcare workers develop compassion fatigue at some point in their career. The more stressful the job, the higher the risk of developing the condition. For example, emergency room nurses tended to have higher rates of compassion fatigue than nurses in labor and delivery.

The consequences of compassion fatigue can affect patients, co-workers and nurses themselves. For example, the quality of care may be decreased when a nurse loses compassion. Even if you still provide the needed treatments and care, your lack of compassion may come across to the patient.

Have you ever worked with a co-worker who did nothing but complain?  When a nurse develops compassion fatigue, they may be more likely to complain at work, not pitch in and call in sick. Compassion fatigue can also take a toll on a person’s wellbeing. It can lead to a lack of job satisfaction, anxiety and depression.

How Does it Develop?

If you start your nursing career with a desire to help people and have a compassionate attitude, how does it change? It is probably not one factor, which leads to a decrease in compassion. Instead, it is often a combination of things. For instance, continually dealing with large workloads can make any job in healthcare overwhelming. In some cases, nurses may have to deal with more than they can handle, which leads to rushing through tasks just to keep up. Human interaction and compassion often take a back seat to getting through the workload.

Another factor, which may lead to compassion fatigue is dealing with non-compliant and difficult patients. Dealing with rude or angry patients on a frequent basis can take its toll emotionally. Having supportive management and supervisors can help nurses cope with difficult situations.

Working too many hours can also increase a person’s risk of becoming burnt-out and losing compassion for their patient’s. Your current life circumstances also play a role in your ability to deal with the stress of caregiving. If you are having trouble in other areas of your life, such as financial or relationship issues, it can spill over onto your job. 

Signs you May be Developing Compassion Fatigue

One of the best things nurses can do is recognize the signs of compassion fatigue before it leads to complete burnout. Some of the signs of compassion fatigue include those listed below.

• *Dread when coming to work
• *Anger
• *Anxiety
• *Decreased feelings of compassion
• *Loss of interest in your career
• *Inability to concentrate or make decisions at work
• *Disruption in home life
• *Increased use of alcohol or drugs

Prevention and Dealing with Compassion Fatigue

Whether you are still in nursing school or already working in the field, there are things you can do to prevent compassion fatigue from developing, such as the following:

Understand what compassion fatigue is: Some nurses have never heard of compassion fatigue. They may feel stressed out and have a decrease in patience, but they fail to realize what is going on.

Know the warning signs: Understanding that compassion fatigue can develop and recognizing the warning signs can help you get a handle on the situation before it escalates. 

Check in with yourself: Life gets busy, and it is easy to rush through your day moving from one task to the next. Take a few minutes now and then to ask yourself how you are feeling. It can be difficult to admit you are starting to lose compassion, but it is essential if you are going to correct the situation. If you feel you have a problem, don’t just ignore it.

Develop stress relief strategies: Everyone is different when it comes to developing strategies to deal with stress. Some people exercise while others enjoy listening to music or getting a massage. Find healthy ways to recharge after work, such as hanging out with friends, spending time outdoors or pursuing a hobby.

Take time off when needed: Everyone needs a break from the demands of work. A car cannot run on empty and neither can a nurse. You need to replenish your body, mind and sprint by taking time away from work and doing things you enjoy.   

Talk about how you feel: If you think you are developing compassion fatigue, don’t hesitate talking to someone about how you feel. Whether you talk with a trusted co-worker, friend or a professional counselor, it can help to discuss your feelings. Many healthcare facilities offer free counseling to employees to help them deal with both personal and work related issues.

Whatever you do, don’t just ignore the situation. When you lose empathy and compassion for your patients, it is difficult to provide the best care possible. In addition, your job satisfaction will likely decrease, which makes work less rewarding and more stressful.

By Jodie Price.

Things Most People Don’t Know Nurses Do

What do nurses really do?

Most people have no idea. If you had an attentive audience, what kinds of things would you want them to know? Here are 5 things that most people don’t realize nurses do every day on the job.

Here are 5 things that most people don’t realize nurses do every day on the job.

1. Analyze and interpret labs

LFTs, CBCs, ABGs, electrolytes and more. You name it, a nurse can interpret it. Lab values are a telling piece of the patient puzzle, but only when taken in context with an individual’s unique health picture and comorbidities. Nurses are often the first to see lab values as they are reported and to make clinical decisions based on the results.

2. Work in conjunction with (not beneath) doctors

In medical shows, things often go like this: A patient begins to decompensate. “Nurse, get the oxygen!” a doctor shouts. “Yes, doctor,” the nurse replies. Oh, come on. What the general public probably doesn’t know is that the nurse has already called the code, started CPR and prepped for intubation.

3. Keep things running smoothly

It’s a double-edged sword. Because when things in healthcare go really well, there’s usually a mastermind nurse behind it. That’s when a nurse has done an exceptional job, except most people don’t even notice.

4. Intercept medical errors

Nurses catch mistakes. Unusual concentrations, erroneous orders, missed symptoms and overlooked allergies. Constant surveillance and attention to detail saves patients from befalling a medical error day in and day out.

5. Save lives

Many in the public don’t realize it. They think doctors are the ones who heroically save lives. But nurses also save lives every day. Sometimes they save a life before anyone even knows it’s in danger.

by Meaghan O'Keeffe, RN, BSN

Your turn...

What else do nurses do that the public doesn’t know about?

Articles: Nursing Basics Still Matter

Nursing at its finest is the stuff of bedpans and bed baths.

There I was, orienting to a busy medical ICU, perplexed over a bedpan! 

You’d think, since I was just graduating from nursing school, that bedpans would be my area of expertise. 

Critical thinking and vent strategies came easy; how could I possible admit I had no idea how to give a bedpan to a patient?

Frightening, to graduate from nursing school and a competitive externship program without this competency. Somehow, though, every unit I’d experienced offered patient care assistants, or patients who didn’t need this age-old tool. I’d certainly helped patients to the bathroom and cleaned incontinent ones. 

Despite the barrage of clinical learning, the basics of offering the pink plastic tool hadn’t sunk in.

Paralyzed, I stood with it in my hand, looking at my intubated, awake patient. I’d had the wherewithal to ask the family to step out, but couldn’t figure out which end went first. The horror of my preceptor finding it backwards would end me. Did the pointed end go towards the patient’s back? The larger end toward the feet for better coverage? Why couldn’t I remember?

Somehow, I managed to decide, and with heart racing, I urged the patient: “Turn to the side!” We both grimaced: I grasped the bedpan with one hand and his right hip with the other, while he reached towards the opposite side rail. His body, heavy with fluid, resisted my timid and inexperienced grasp, and he rolled back onto his back, without bedpan.

My preceptor, just passing by, or discreetly watching from her secret post behind the curtain, arrived just as I was about to start my second try. From the opposite side of the bed, she pulled his body towards her and I placed the bedpan where I thought it should go, praying to the ghost of Florence Nightingale that I’d positioned it right.

If it hadn’t already been so, this experience made it clear to my preceptor that, while I was confident in my nursing knowledge, my skills weren’t up to snuff. 

Instead of choosing a final clinical placement in a med-surg unit or intensive care, I had opted to spend my senior year working in public health. When I decided that I wanted bedside experience before specializing, I figured I’d just pick up what I missed on orientation.

For some reason, understanding when to intubate a patient came easily, but giving a bed bath? Terrifying. In our unit, we had no patient care assistants, and my preceptor’s goal was to teach me how to perform all patient care without any help. “I don’t want you to do everything by yourself all the time; I just want you to know how to do everything by yourself.”

So, we started slow: I’d begin the bath, washing the front, and then I’d call for her help as soon as trouble hit, or I needed to turn my patient over. But before long, I would be finished before she could even come to check on me—bath, turn, primp and all. 

Soon, bedpans stopped scaring me, and neither did feeding patients, readjusting bipap masks, emptying foley bags, or primping pillows.

A lot of basic nursing tasks are pretty logical to figure out. A bedpan is shaped like a toilet seat; it would be ridiculous to position the narrow end towards the back. 

Bed baths are actually chances to slow down and fully assess your patient’s every mole, wound, and toenail. They’re also a great chance to chat and make people feel human in a sterile, cold environment. Even intimidating skills like IV insertion can be practiced and learned until they are anxiety-free procedures for both patient and nurse.

But the hardest thing to learn when we’re first starting out is that these tasks of care are not lists to be followed or steps to be taken. In school, we practice them in unison and in the same order, but real life has a funny way of adding unique twists to their course. Flexibility and an ability to tailor each uniform task to a unique patient is part of the process of grasping basic nursing skills.

While delegation of these tasks is sometimes appropriate, we must not avoid them. Nursing at its finest is the stuff of bedpans and bed baths. These are the moments when our patients feel our intentional touch, rest under the gaze of our watchful eye, and know the quality of our care. Years later, I realized that the lesson my preceptor taught me—to be fully self-sufficient—was simply a cover for her belief that the littlest tasks can be the most important.

By Amanda Anderson, 

a critical care nurse and graduate student 

in New York City currently doing a graduate placement at AJN.

Ref:
Jacob Molyneux, 2015. Bedpans and learning: Nursing Basics Still Matter. Retrieved from http://ajnoffthecharts.com/2015/04/08/bedpans-and-learning-nursing-basics-still-matter/

Medical Field Officers at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - Since its creation in 1863, the ICRC's sole objective has been to ensure protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict and strife. It does so through its direct action around the world, as well as by encouraging the development of international humanitarian law (IHL) and promoting respect for it by governments and all weapon bearers. Its story is about the development of humanitarian action, the Geneva Conventions and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

We are looking for suitable candidates to fill the vacancy below: 

Job Title: Medical Field Officer 

Location: Yola

Main Responsibilities
*Under the supervision of the Health Delegate, assesses health needs and care availability in the areas of operation with the ICRC programming priorities
*Liaises with Health authorities (state Ministry of Health), Health facilities and Humanitarian Organization, working in the medical field in his/her area under supervision of the Health Delegate
*Assess health structures (clinics and hospitals) including Primary Health Care and surgical services and proposes activities and realistic projects in the frame of the Primary Health Care strategy
*Manage medical logistics with stock keeping, turnover and distribution to the field
*Under the supervision of the Health Delegate, actively participate In the overall running of the Primary Health Care program including the implementation, monitoring and outcomes
*Conducts close supportive supervision and teaching to ensure that Primary Health Care staff comply with national Ministry of Health diagnostic and treatment guidelines and protocols
*Conduct teaching sessions for clinical and non- clinical staff working in Primary Health Care Centers on topical health issues, including but not limited to hygiene promotion
*Under the supervision of the Health Delegate and in collaboration with the First Aid program responsible Abuja assists in the initial planning, implementation, reporting, and monitoring of the First Aid program from Yola office.

Minimum Required Knowledge and Experience
**University degree in Medical Field (Medical doctor of Registered Nurse).
**Additional public health training and experience running first aid programs will be advantageous.
**2-4 years working experience within primary health structures in Nigeria.
**Excellent command of English, good command of Hausa language (written and spoken).
**Good reporting and communication skills.
**Good interpersonal skills and ability to develop a network of contacts.
**Excellent computer skills (MS Word, Excel & Power point).
**Ability to travel extensively within northern Nigeria and work independently as required.
**Candidate should have a reasonable knowledge and understanding of public infrastructures such as government offices as well as other organisations in the region.
**Driving experience and a valid driver’s license.
**Valid practice license and registration with relevant professional body.

Personal Requirements
**Strongly motivated by humanitarian work
**Ability to work independently, and capacity to take initiatives when appropriate
**Teamwork oriented with sound communication skills
**Punctual, reliable, confirmed organisational skills
**Sound empathy when dealing with people/beneficiaries
**Adaptability and capacity to integrate changes
**Sound capacity to strictly apply ICRC rules and working procedures

Application Closing Date
20th March, 2015

Method of Application 
Interested candidates should submit their application (letter of motivation, CV, copies of certificates/diploma, references) to the address below:

The Administrator,
ICRC Yole Office,
No 5 Girei Street, 
GRA Jimeta 
Yola,
Adamawa State.
Or
The Administrator
ICRC Abuja 
31 Pope John Paul II Street,
Maitama, 
Abuja.

Note:Please clearly indicate "Medical Field Officer" on the envelopeOnly short-listed candidates will be contacted

State Immunization Consultant at UNICEF Nigeria

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria is supporting the Government of Nigeria to strengthen prevention of and response all forms of violence against children. In particular, assistance will be provided to strengthen the child protection system, including through modelling the system in four States, in order to demonstrate the impact of a well-functioning child protection system, to develop a common model for operationalizing the Child Rights Act at State level and to develop standardized tools, including regulations, working protocols and training manuals to govern the system.

If you are a Nigerian national who is a passionate end committed professional and wants to make a lasting difference for children, the world's organization would like to hear from you.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: State Immunization Consultant

VN No.: VN-NGR-25-2015
Location: Nationwide
Level: Junior Level
Type of Appointment: Special Service Agreement (SSA) for 9 month

Purpose / Objective of the Consultancy
*To support Government of Nigeria in its goal of reducing vaccine preventable diseases through strengthening immunization systems by providing technical support to States' Ministry of Health in the area of polio eradication , other SIAs and routine immunization.
*The incumbent will provide technical support to the State Ministry of Health (State Primary Health Care Development Agency/Board) to accelerate quality implementation of routine immunization as a means to sustain polio eradication in the polio-free states as well as to improve further the reduction in morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable and other diseases.

Major Tasks to be Accomplished:
*The Consultant will provide technical support to EPI State Team (particularly the social mobilization and Vaccine security committees) on all aspects of routine immunization for both EPI/PEI in the assigned State in line with the UNICEF mandate for vaccine security and social mobilization.

Minimum Qualification
Bachelor's Degree in Business/Health/Material Management/Engineering or equivalent (minimal).
Master's Degree in Public Health/Pharmacology, Business, or Engineering is an advantage.
Experience in managing cold chain system for vaccine or other related medical supplies and providing immunization services is desirable.
At least 5 years progressively professional work experience with at least 2 years at providing technical support in the area of Logistics, supply chain management, cold chain.
Fluency in English.

Application Closing Date
26th March, 2015.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their application, accompanied by an updated CV's in English and a completed United Nations Personal History Form to:nrecruit@unicef.org

Health Specialist (Immunization/Polio) at UNICEF Nigeria

UNICEF Nigeria is supporting the Government of Nigeria to strengthen prevention of and response all forms of violence against children. In particular, assistance will be provided to strengthen the child protection system, including through modelling the system in four States, in order to demonstrate the impact of a well-functioning child protection system, to develop a common model for operationalizing the Child Rights Act at State level and to develop standardized tools, including regulations, working protocols and training manuals to govern the system.

The emergency in the northeast of Nigeria has led to large scale displacement of civilians with the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) estimating 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the six states of the Northeast. The increasing number of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), including children orphaned in the ongoing hostilities, is a growing issue of concern. There is a pressing need for the Child Protection Programme to scale up its interventions in North East to meet the needs of UASC, and in particular to support alternative care for UASC and the establishment and implementation of family tracing and reunification mechanisms.

If you are a passionate and committed professional and want to make a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Health Specialist (Immunization/Polio)

Vacancy Number: VN-NGR-20-2015
Location: Abuja
Level: NO-C
Type of Appointment: Fixed Term

Purpose of the Post
The successful candidate will be accountable for professional leadership in and contribution to the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and administration of the Immunization programme in conjunction with Child Survival and Development, Maternal and Child Health, Health and Nutrition components within the country programme, to achieve the UNICEF's immunization plus goals and objectives for the country.The incumbent will be working specifically within the Polio Eradication initiative to ensure UNICEF's accountabilities are met.
Accountable for ensuring the UNICEF Immunization programme promotes gender equality, with an emphasis on gender disaggregation, gender disparity identification and gender mainstreaming.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
*Analyze, evaluate and provide technical input into the preparation of Situation Analysis relative to Immunization (EPI).
*Contribute to and collaborate with relevant partners in the identification of new approaches for improving and integrating of the immunization programmes.
*Provide leadership for and participate in the development of result based sectoral work plan consistent with defined project strategies and approaches.
*Plan and organize staff training/development programme to upgrade Country Office staff capacity in the development implementation and management of Immunization programme.
*Collaborate in forming emergency preparedness plan relating to the areas of responsibility.
*Participate in the preparation of all programme reports for management, Board, donors, budget reviews, programme analysis and annual reports.
*Coordinate relevant staff on supply and non-supply assistance activities to ensure UNICEF and Government partner accountability.

Qualifications and Competencies Required
*Advanced degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Public Health, Paediatric Health, Child Development, child Health Nutrition, Epidemiology, Public Administration, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development or other relevant discipline(s)
*Five years of professional work experience at the national and international levels in planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health/immunization programmes.
*Field work experience, background/familiarity with Emergency.
*Professional work experience in a technical expert position related to child survival & health
*Fluency in English and local working language of the duty station.
*Excellent communication skillsProven ability to work independently under difficult conditions

Application Closing Date
31st March, 2015.

How To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their application, accompanied by an updated CV in English and a completed United National Personal History Form, which can be download below and sent to: nrecruit@unicef.org

Note: 
Please put the position title you are applying for on the subject line of your email.UNICEF, a smoke-free environment, is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff.Well qualified candidates, particularly women are strongly encouraged to apply. Zero tolerance of sexual abuse and exploitation is our policy

Nurses and midwives at MSF Jigawa

Médecins Sans Frontières is a private, non-profit international humanitarian organization dedicated to providing medical assistance to populations in crisis, without discrimination and regardless of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.
The French Section of Médecins Sans Frontières is recruiting for its project in Jahun:

Pool for Midwives and Nurses

To be able to cover some Human Resources gaps (annual leave, maternity leave, sick leave, etc.) or to response effectively to an eventual increase of the activity, MSF wants to constitute a pool of medical daily workers that can be called at any time in case of need.

For this reason, MSF is presently seeking applicants for the above positions:

Qualifications/Requirements

Essential technical diploma in Nursing and Midwifery as the case may be.
Essential working experience of at least one year in relevant jobs
English both in spoken and writtenHausa (spoken) added advantage

Work Location

Jahun Hospital, Jigawa State (Nigeria)

Contract

Unlimited contract duration starting in March 2015.
208 working hours per month.  Roster flexibility required. 

 

Method of Application

Submit your CV, copies of medical credentials, registration and a cover letter with contact details to the MSF Administration Office in Jahun ("Application Box" at the Watchmen Desk).

Applications can be submitted in person or by email to: msff-jahun-admin@paris.msf.org

Deadline for the submission of applications: Saturday, March 8th 2015

Please make sure to submit your application by this date.

NB: only successful applicants will be called for interview
Scan all ur documents and type your CV and application.

Send to the email address on the post.
The address on the letter will b to :
The Project Coordinator
Médecins  Sans Frontières
Jahun, Jigawa
Don't forget to put your phone number under your name in the application letter