All nursing professionals have felt compassion fatigue at one point or another. You know, that time when you know you should care and you desperately want to, but…you’re just plumb out of caring tickets.
So what can you do if you’re in a caring rut and feel burnt out? Here are a few suggestions that can help:
Take a step back from the coal face.
Bosses might not like reading this, but sometimes taking a "Mental Health Day" (sickie) is imperative and will be of benefit to all. I know that from personal experience, when I run out of caring tickets, my overall nursing suffers.
Sure, I can do the technical bits and pieces fine. I’ve been in nursing for so long I can robotically perform most tasks without much thought. But my intuition goes out the door, follow-up questions are not asked, and critical thinking declines. This is unfair for the patient as I’m not providing the best possible care I know I can. A day away to recharge and relieve burnout can make all the difference.
If you find yourself needing a mental health day, it is very important to speak with your nurse manager when you return. Whatever the issue may be, it needs to be addressed, otherwise you risk turning into a bitter and twisted nurse.
Do something silly and have some fun.
For years I was known for wearing brightly colored socks with shorts. I’ve also been known to do an observations round wearing a Groucho Marx-style rubber nose and glasses. My patients generally loved this simple fun. It often put a smile on their face and lightened the mood.
Isn’t it amazing how sometimes the patient can nurse the nurse, too? On more than one occasion, when I was struggling through a day, a patient having a joke with me was all I needed to relieve my compassion fatigue.
“He’s not heavy, he’s my brother.”
This Hollies song could well be the anthem for nurses everywhere. It’s amazing just how quickly caring tickets can be found when a colleague helps to lighten the load.
And it doesn’t have to be much. Sometimes a kind word or affirmation of a job well done is enough. The best thing is that it’s a win-win for all parties involved, as everyone feels good.
Eat well, sleep well.
Well duh, we all know that. But sometimes it’s easier said than done. Most nurses will have at some stage of their career worked shifts and know the effect that it can have on the body. I know from experience how fast food can slip easily into a diet and interrupted sleep can wreak havoc on your lifestyle and mood.
If this goes on for any period of time, fatigue and decreased energy levels surely follow. For me, this then leads to a reduction of available caring tickets. The solution is simple—you know what you should be doing. However, executing a viable plan of action to address this can be very difficult. You can start by trying out easy-to-prepare healthy meals or incorporating these quick cardio exercises.
Time to get out.
What happens if the well runs completely dry? None of the suggestions above have helped? No matter what you do, a caring ticket just simply cannot be found, bought or stolen.
As hard as it might be, extended time away from the coalface may be the only option. For the benefit of yourself and your patients, leaving the profession—temporarily or forever—could be the best caring thing you can do. That way, you can focus on recovering from compassion fatigue in nursing. Perhaps in the future, a return to the profession may be achievable.
- See more at:
http://www.nursetogether.com/compassion-fa...
Posted By: Jen Fad
Monday, February 3rd 2014 at 5:50PM
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