Compassionate Culture In The Healthcare Sector

Answer :

Developments of Nursing Care

Introduction

Compassion satisfaction is described as the delight which derive the individuals from being proficient to do the work. This satisfaction makes the individuals feel like a deep pleasure which they gain after helping others through the way of their work. Through this one may feel positivity about their work towards their colleagues as well as their capabilities in order to contribute their work setting or even for the better welfare of the society by the work that the healthcare professionals perform to those individuals who needs cares (Dasan et al., 2015). However, there is another side of compassion satisfaction which is compassion fatigue that is considered as the negative characteristic of serving those individuals who have experienced suffering as well as traumatic stress. The compassion fatigue is referred to as the secondary traumatic stress that is a state featured by the steady reduction of compassion with time. Moreover, it is the condition that originates between the workers who used to work on the regular basis with the trauma patients, victims of disasters or illness particularly in the healthcare sectors (Drury et al., 2014). The compassion fatigue was first diagnose in nurses in the year 1950. However, the personnel’s in other occupations are also at risk of experiencing compassion fatigue like the child protection workers and veterinarians, nurses, emergency medical technicians, health unit coordinators, therapists and many more. The individuals who used to experience compassion fatigue exhibits various symptoms such as a decrease in the experience of pleasure, stress, anxiety, sleeplessness as well as hopelessness. It might also lead to the development of the negative attitude within the individuals. It also further leads to serious impacts on professional as well as in personal aspects of life. This assignment will shed lights on compassionate culture in the healthcare sector and also the analysis of it within the specialty area of practice in the healthcare sectors. 

Overview and analysis of the specialty area of nursing practice 

The nursing care includes the innate responsibility as well as recognition to alleviate the suffering and pain that implies the compassion, competency, and kindness as an integral part of the process. Basically, those who take up the nursing profession are found to be inspired by the yearning for providing quality compassionate care in spite of of the specialty area. Furthermore, the oncology section in nursing involves special challenge due to the temperament of the occurring disease (Hegney et al., 2014). Several pieces of evidence indicate that the nurses in the oncology sector are specifically vulnerable to occupational stress and anxiety due to the circumstances under which they used to provide care. Various researches have demonstrated the fact that the two of the most basic report work dependent consequences for nurses are burnout and compassion fatigue. On the other hand, various other studies based on the fact also reveal that oncology nurses basically use to establish rapport with the family members and also to the patients by subjecting them to the greater likelihood of the immense emotional grief, a burden as well as distress. Hence it is specifically a true fact that nurses those who are involved in the traumatic incidents like the death or when the patient or the patient family experiences an unpredicted prediction of the incurable illness (Hinderer et al., 2014). Moreover, it has been noticed that in the present state of the health care political and in the institutional constraints like the deficit of the support of management, limited resources, increase in work pressure, shortage of staffing and also the increase in patient acuity makes the nurses in the oncology sector at risk for the incapability to provide compassionate care to the patients. 

However, as a result of which the chronic, as well as routine exposure to the human sufferings combined with pressures so as to provide quality care, makes the nurses in the oncology sector for developing of compassionate fatigue as well as burnout. It has been found that compassionate fatigue is basically comprised of two segments which are burnout and secondary traumatic stress. The burnout is described as the frustration, depression, anger, and exhaustion whereas the secondary traumatic stress is described as the negative impacts that are secondary to the fear as well as work-related trauma (Hunsaker et al., 2015). Furthermore, compassionate satisfaction is the positive feeling that is used to derive after helping other ones whether it being from the direct involvement or for the welfare of the humanity. In addition, compassion fatigue is generally used with burnout and these two concepts are derived from the two dissimilar failed survival strategies. The compassion fatigue originates from the liberate caretaking response whereas the burnout originates from the gentleness aim accomplishment responses. 

Evidence of the findings from observation or from the other stories

The compassion fatigue used to basically occurs when the caretaker failed to save or shield the individual from harm and hence results in the feelings of distress as well as guilt. The burnout is when the healthcare personnel failed to achieve an anticipated objective that results in frustration as well as perceived loss of control. Moreover, it has been noticed that the compassionate fatigue generally occurs through the intrinsic and natural response in order to alleviate suffering and pain whereas the burnout is ecologically driven such as the increased work pressure as well as time and resource constraints. Apart from this the resolution and the onset period among the compassion fatigue and burnout are entirely distinct in nature (Kelly et al., 2015). The compassion fatigue has insidious as well as acute onsets which results in the long-term consequences and which are not easily reversible. The burnout has the resolution as well as vigorous onset which suggest that the removal of the sources of stress might be effective for the individuals who are going through for the same. Furthermore, in spite of having all these variations, the researchers should investigate that burnout and compassion fatigue due to their intimate relationship specifically among the patients and also with the healthcare professionals. On a professional way, the nurses are caring as well as the compassionate individuals who used to provide encouragement and healing when the other individuals in the society are facing the spiritual, physical and emotional anguish. Moreover, a variety of self-giving generally pose problems for the development of compassion fatigue (Lee et al., 2015).

 However, the continuous exposure to traumatic experiences and stress inherent in the profession of nursing mainly contribute to the development of the decrease in the job satisfaction, compassion fatigue and also the burnout that further leads to considerable high turnover rate in the profession of nursing. The burnout is the term that is used to illustrate the workers negative attitude and behaviors towards their job with respect to the job pull with the feelings of powerlessness, aggravation and also the incapability to fulfill the objectives of the work. However the compassion, as well as the burnout, will not only possess a negative consequence on the welfare of the nurses, their job satisfaction and also compliance to linger in the profession but it can also lead to an  impact on the outcome of the patients and also of their satisfaction in the healthcare sectors (Li et al, 2014). Comparisons have been carried out regarding the compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout between the nurses in the intensive care unit, nephrology as well as in the oncology sectors. Furthermore, the skilled superiority of the life scale has been used in order to identify the variations in the level of compassion fatigue and also burnout among the nurses who are working these specialty segments. However, the cross-sectional study shows that nurses in the oncology sectors are at the greater risk for compassion fatigue. On the other hand, there are various other studies which concentrate on measuring the compassion fatigue level on the oncology nurses through using the secondary traumatic stress tool (Sacco et al., 2015). Moreover, this process is measured as the first quantitative exploration of the compassion fatigue on the oncology nurses and apart from this the findings of the study depict that oncology nurses undergo the high level of compassion fatigue. In addition, the high levels of compassion fatigue in the nurses might lead to an impact on patient care and it will further enhance the development of burnout. On the contrary, the nurses in the emergency department are often consider to be in the worrying working environment. Various studies related to these facts revealed that death of the patients, violence in the workplace, providing treatment to the trauma patients as well as the stressful events that used to occur essentially in these sectors contribute to the rise in stress on the workers of the emergency departments (Smart et al., 2014). However, the oncology nurses have to deal with the several unpredictable events that include violent, death as well as overcrowding. Furthermore, there are few pieces of evidence that shown to demonstrate the factors which are associated with the oncology nurses demographics as well as work dependent characteristics that contribute to their CS, CF, and burnout. Through demonstrating the factors it will assist in predicting about the compassion fatigue and burnout and also the recognizing factors which will help in improving the satisfaction at work and workplace (Salloum et al., 2015). Apart from this, it will also aid in retaining the nurses in emergency departments and oncology sections by developing strategies for supporting them in order to endow with outstanding care without compromise their own joy as well as health. 

Analysis of the current compassionate culture

Various theoretical frameworks have been applied in order to guide the nurses related to the compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout like the Maslow theory of the hierarchy of needs as well as the Watsons theory of human caring. Apart from this, an important theoretical model has been established by Figley that is related to the stress process framework. Hence such models were formed on the factors which used to contribute to the compassion fatigue (Sansó et al., 2015). Moreover, Figley discovered that the enlargement of compassion fatigue is the outcomes of the care provider’s exposure to their patient’s experience which is joined with their natural empathy. However, the compassion satisfaction and the compassion fatigue model helps in elaborating a theoretical path analysis of the positive outcomes of the compassion satisfaction and a negative outcome of the compassion fatigue of assisting those who have experienced the traumatic stress. 

A number of theoretical frameworks for the leadership have been evolve over the number of years which accompany by an profusion of definitions which fails to accomplish the universal agreement. Thus, it makes the assortment of the coherent leadership model that is proper for compassionate healthcare problems (Wagaman et al., 2015). However, the ubiquity of the anxiety, as well as suffering in the healthcare sectors, develops an imperative for the compassionate leadership but it also develops a condition which makes such kind of leadership challenging and complex to sustain. It has been noticed that the biggest barrier to the compassionate care is the persistent as well as the unsuspecting exploitation of the metaphor and also the theory of the association as a machine with hierarchical order as well as manage managerial leadership. In the premise of scientific management that is over hundreds of years old use to treat the individuals as the mechanized cogs that carry out strictly approved deeds by developing a system which is fundamentally dehumanizing and also illogically ineffectual in the perspective of the healthcare (Wu et al., 2016). 

The metaphors are found to be remarkably powerful and can also help in shaping the process of thinking as well as the emotional response. In addition, the practice of medicine is considered to be both as a science as well as art that involves the high levels of impulsiveness and also the emotional allege and needs various skill and approachable. The relational care is heterogeneous, self-motivated and iterative and every interface is distinctive as well as adaptive to the patients and also to the perspective. Hence one cannot recommend the fixed regulations for the compassionate care moreover there are definite rules of propriety which aids to personalize care like inform the patients of one responsibility and name. However, the compassion is about the reciprocity and connection which is flowing cyclically inward as well as in outward. Therefore the associations with the vigorous alterations, complex issues, and uncertainty need a supple responsive healthcare association with leaders who can motivate others in order to take part in the teamwork and with the patient concentrated objectives. In the demographics related features, it has been observed that compassion fatigue is less prevalent with the rise of the working experiences and age. Subsequently, it has been further found that the older nurses possess the higher score of compassion satisfaction and also lower compassion fatigue and burnout levels. The particular challenges are faced by the new and younger nurses as they not only are inexperienced as well as they are also challenged to learn current information’s on the regular basis and should also sustain pace in the busy work environment where the effective skills as well speeds are vital in nature.

 The oncology sector, as well as the emergency department leadership and also the practised senior nurses, should endow with a collaborative and supportive working environment for the junior nurses in the organization. In addition, a formal mentoring program will be essential in order to pair the junior oncology nurses with that of the more experienced nurses in the department. In the work-related feature it has been observed that the vital factors that surfaced as the important element in the oncology nurses those who exhibit higher compassion satisfaction levels and also lower burnout levels consist of the rise in years in the profession, possessing a higher level of educational background having a lesser number of lengths of the shifts and also an appropriate support of the manager at work. Hence it can be found that the positivity in the workplace environment, as well as the more working experiences, lead to the increase in work satisfaction among the nurses. With the more attentive as well as an involved manager in the sectors leads to the rise in the higher compassion satisfaction scores among the oncology nurses. Therefore, the healthy workplace environment that involves the support of the manager, recognizing the contributions of the nurses to the practices and also shared decision making precisely incorporated with the rise in the attention of the wellbeing of the nurses, decrease in the turnover of the staff as well as rise in the job satisfaction (Yu et al., 2016). 

Thus a positive compassionate manager is most expected to possess the nurses who have higher levels of compassion satisfaction and also lower levels of burnout. However, the nurse leaders should turn out to be cognizant about the nurses who belong to the higher risks of the compassion fatigue as well as burnout and also develops a positive connection with them so as to properly correspond and advise with them. Hence such leaders are found to be vital in the successful establishment of the positive, strong as well as professional practice environments. Therefore through establishing a supportive environment the early identification of the compassion fatigue as well as the burnout in the oncology nurses as well as providing sufficient support of the manager might help in the withholding of the considerate, knowledgeable and skilled nurses. 

Recommendations

To recommend a supportive as well as healthy work environment is imperative for the welfare, satisfaction, and health in the workplace. Therefore it is significant to execute the institutional changes like developing guidelines and policies towards the establishment of the preventive interventions or the psychosocial support for the nurses who are continuously facing the circumstances that demand compassion as well as care for the patients with life-threatening situations. The improvement in the workplace environment can assist in preventing several negative consequences like the poor results of the health for the nurses and also of the patients and also in the reduction of the turnover of nurses and healthcare expenditure. Furthermore, if the oncology unit will be well managed then there will be a reduction in compassion fatigue as well as burnout. Moreover, the supportive work environments which emerge from the responsible workforce designs leads to the effectual teamwork as well as engaged leadership styles. In addition, the hospitals are also increasingly forced to limit the inpatient days which helps in reducing the oncology nurses and also of the patient encounter time that further does not aid in enhancing the patient safety and care. From this report, it can be illustrated that the patient time and the oncology nurses are the strong predictors of compassion satisfaction. Furthermore, the healthcare management should flourish the standard of the nurse-patient relationship in order to compensate for lesser encounter time. Apart from this, from this report, it can also demonstrate that the knowledge, as well as dedication for the care of the patients having cancer by the cancer trajectory, requires some tools to care for themselves as well. Therefore with the proper knowledge and training and also with the supportive and positive work environment leads to the decrease in compassion fatigue and burnout among the nurses through the rise of compassion satisfaction. 

Conclusion

To conclude the assignments has been dealt with the compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue and burnout of the healthcare personnel’s as well as the healthcare providers in the healthcare sectors. In this assignment, the discussion has been made on how the incidence of compassion fatigue and burnout rises amongst the nurses in the specialty of them where they used to work. In addition, this assignment has also dealt with the assessment of various factors that leads to the enlargement of compassion fatigue and burnout among oncology nurses. Furthermore, discussions have also been carried out on the latest compassionate culture within the healthcare sectors and also recommendations have been provided regarding the fact that how the compassion fatigue can be decreased among the workers in order to increase the compassion satisfaction in them so that the turnover of the nurses can also decrease. Apart from this, it can be concluded from this assignment that works pressure, unsatisfactorily workplace environment leads to the rise of compassion fatigue.