Compassion fatigue, characterized by declining empathy and emotional drain, is increasingly impacting healthcare professionals and first responders. Stemming from prolonged exposure to others' distress and crises, this syndrome threatens the very essence of caregiving, resulting in diminished effectiveness and withdrawal from patient care. Learn how to recognize the warning signs and discover self-care strategies to protect your mental wellbeing and continue providing exceptional care.
What happens to our helpers who are continuously hearing or seeing difficult situations while also providing care, support, and protection?
Compassion fatigue, a condition marked by diminishing empathy and emotional exhaustion, is increasingly affecting healthcare professionals and first responders.
Defined as the stress resulting from prolonged exposure to others’ suffering and crisis situations, this syndrome challenges the core identity of caregivers, leading to reduced effectiveness and withdrawal from patients.
Originally identified in the 1980s, compassion fatigue now expands beyond medical staff to include police and emergency workers, highlighting the urgency for strategies to address this growing concern in caregiving professions.
Warning Signs
Fatigue can manifest through various signs, including withdrawing from social interactions, struggling to focus, experiencing diminished empathy, feeling physically drained and prone to irritation, as well as grappling with heightened levels of anxiety and sadness. Individuals experiencing compassion fatigue may exhibit withdrawal behaviors, emotional detachment, reduced stress tolerance, and increased sensitivity to their environment.
Recognizing the early warning signs of compassion fatigue is crucial in preventing negative effects to the mental and physical wellbeing of a person.
Strategies for Self-Care
Compassion fatigue can easily affect those in helping professions, and includes medical professionals, first responders, and even family caregivers. The line between compassion fatigue and the fulfilment found in the caregiver role is often blurred. It’s important that anyone who is susceptible takes proper steps to protect themselves, and that they are mindful of the effects on their own lives. As much as we want to help others and provide nurturing care, we must also look inward and ensure that we are meeting our own mental health needs.
Here are a few ways in which one can manage their mental well being:
Focus on balancing your work and personal life
Set healthy personal and emotional boundaries
Practice maintaining your compassion and empathy without overly taking on someone else's pain
Seek quality social support
Thank you to all our helpers, but know you’re not alone. Helpers also need help sometimes.
Written by the following members of the Serefin Nursing Team:
Christine Turiano, RN
Dragana Milivojevic, RPN
With minor edits by:
Katie Vandenborre, RN
Catherine Wong, RN
Catherine Wong
RN, BScN
Catherine Wong is a registered nurse licensed in Ontario and Quebec.
Catherine is a Care Coordination team lead and is actively involved in educating others through newsletters and articles.
Dragana Milivojevic
RPN
Dragana is a Care Coordinator at Serefin.
Katie Vandenborre
RN
Katie is a a highly motivated individual who is passionate about everything she does. Katie thrives in high pressure environments while consistently bringing an optimistic attitude to the work place. Always eager to put her skills to the test while acquiring new ones to be learned from her employer. Katie is also fluent in both English and French.
