Mindfulness: A Journey to Resilience. An intervention for compassion fatigue and burnout.
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Authors
Patten, Elaina
Pearson, Jasmine
Windle, Jesse
Date of Issue
2024
Type
Presentation
Language
en_US
Subject Keywords
Other Titles
Abstract
Compassion fatigue is a significant challenge currently facing nurses. Characteristically seen in nurses who, in their effort to provide care, alleviate suffering, and advocate for clients, become too overwhelmed to continue in the profession. These nurses tend to experience a decline in mental and physical health and overall well-being. While compassion fatigue can affect all nurses, the population this project will focus on are those involved in direct patient care. The demands on patient care nurses vary but high workloads, constant exposure to stress and traumatic events, and care for multiple patients, all exert a high amount of social and professional pressure upon them. This reality gets lost in promoting and maintaining patient health and safety. However, it is just as important to care for the health and safety of every nurse. To promote resilience, combat burnout, and facilitate sustainable nursing practices, some institutions have implemented resiliency initiatives that utilize mindfulness as a core component. While mindfulness can have several definitions, in this paper it involves a diversity of practices that aim to improve emotional balance, clarify a sense of purpose, and enhance overall wellbeing. The intent of implementing these mindfulness interventions is to help alleviate the stress that patient care nurses experience daily and reduce the rate of nurse burnout throughout the profession. This research paper reviews several studies that explore the impact of mindfulness as an effective intervention against compassion fatigue, specifically in client care nurses.