Oral Presentations
Location
Schewel 215
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Entry Number
57
Start Date
4-6-2022 3:45 PM
End Date
4-6-2022 4:00 PM
Department
Nursing
Abstract
Compassion fatigue is prevalent in all nursing settings, however, it is particularly important to care about it in pediatric nursing because of the unique challenges. Compassion fatigue, made up by burnout and secondary traumatic stress, is a risk to pediatric patients due to the nurse’s inability to care adequately when having overwhelming feelings of exhaustion and mental health disorders and the high prevalence of medical mistakes that can be made. Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring was used as a theoretical framework to analyze the sources. This thesis will argue the need for compassion fatigue to be recognized, managed, and interventions necessary to employ to mitigate nursing attrition. Understanding the prevalence of compassion fatigue, the coping mechanisms in place, and the interventions against compassion fatigue provide recommendations on how to stop compassion fatigue in nurses and promote resilience. Current recommendations to reduce compassion fatigue in bedside pediatric nurses may include appropriate debriefings after traumatic shifts, having management review and create interventions for the stressors of care, appropriate time off from work, education in orientation, an annual program to educate, and collaboration with the whole unit to help protect against negative feelings of compassion fatigue.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Prof. Kristin ShargotsDr. Lisa Jamerson Dr. Laura Kicklighter
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When Helping Becomes Hurting: Compassion Fatigue in Pediatric Nurses
Schewel 215
Compassion fatigue is prevalent in all nursing settings, however, it is particularly important to care about it in pediatric nursing because of the unique challenges. Compassion fatigue, made up by burnout and secondary traumatic stress, is a risk to pediatric patients due to the nurse’s inability to care adequately when having overwhelming feelings of exhaustion and mental health disorders and the high prevalence of medical mistakes that can be made. Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring was used as a theoretical framework to analyze the sources. This thesis will argue the need for compassion fatigue to be recognized, managed, and interventions necessary to employ to mitigate nursing attrition. Understanding the prevalence of compassion fatigue, the coping mechanisms in place, and the interventions against compassion fatigue provide recommendations on how to stop compassion fatigue in nurses and promote resilience. Current recommendations to reduce compassion fatigue in bedside pediatric nurses may include appropriate debriefings after traumatic shifts, having management review and create interventions for the stressors of care, appropriate time off from work, education in orientation, an annual program to educate, and collaboration with the whole unit to help protect against negative feelings of compassion fatigue.