Biography
Biography: Linda Sage
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Compassion fatigue; puts healthcare workers & patients at risk. Everyday careworkers struggle to function in care giving environments that present heart wrenching emotional challenges.
Compassion Fatigue (CF) the profound emotional & physical erosion takes place when helpers cannot refuel & regenerate.
Helping professionals open their hearts & minds to clients/patients; this empathy makes helpers vulnerable to be profoundly affected & possibly damaged.
Burnout physical & emotional exhaustion; experienced when there is low job satisfaction, feeling powerless & overwhelmed.
Signs of CF & Burnout
overtaxed by work, showing similar symptoms to traumatized clients; difficulty concentrating, intrusive imagery, feeling discouraged, hopelessness, exhaustion, irritability, high attrition (helpers leaving) & negative, dispirited, cynical workers remaining in the field, boundary violations which affect the workplace & create a toxic environment.
Factors in CF &Burnout?
The individual: Life circumstances, coping style, personality type. Life stressors ie; taking care of both young children and aging parents, in addition to managing a heavy & complex workload. Helpers are not immune to pain in their own lives; they can be vulnerable to life changes such as divorce & addictions.
The Situation: Helpers often do work, others don’t want to hear about; spend time caring for people who are not valued or understood in society, homeless, abused, incarcerated or chronically ill. The working environment is often stressful & fraught. The work is very stressful, clients/patients who are experiencing chronic crises, difficulty controlling their emotions, or who may not get better.
What can be done? Working in a healthy organization. Access to supportive, flexible management, reduction of trauma exposure, ongoing staff education. Timely, good quality supervision; reducing hours working directly with traumatized individuals. Personal strategies: strong social support, home & work; increased self- awareness, regular self care.. Making life changes, prioritize personal health/wellness Develop stress resiliency skills.