Concept Analysis Of Compassion Fatigue
Concepts analysis is a process of studying the basic elements of a concept or idea. Concepts analysis helps to gain concept clarity. To define the concept, a concept is an abstract idea. A concept can be defined as a word which conveys in-depth understanding, and a value among individuals within the same discipline.
Concepts analysis should be performed when certain concepts need to be studied in detail and need more clarifications, or improvement is needed in nursing practice.
Settings for the Concept Analyze
The article is based on the Walker and Avant theory. It is based on the eight stages model. Concepts analysis is a research method on its own. McEwen & Willis (2011) has the eight steps in conducting a concept analysis as:
- Select a concept: First and foremost the important part of any research is to select the concept. Concept selection should be within the scope of practice, it should be something related to our work environment or the task that we do on a daily basis.
- Determine the aims or purpose of analysis: The concept selection should be something that the author will be able to explain the purpose of the research and analysis. In this second step, the author was able to mention why it is important for the author to do the concept analysis on this particular concept.
- Identify all the uses of the concept: In this third steps, the author supported the concept by detail studying of available literature, dictionaries, thesauruses, and colleagues. By doing this through studying the author have identified the possible uses of the concept. By conducting the literature review and supporting articles analysis, the author was able to provide the evidence-based foundation for the analysis.
- Determine the defining attributes: the author has defined the attributes by conducting several similar literature analyses. The author has provided similar characteristics with the similar concept from different article analysis.
- Recognize the model case: In this step, the model case will be recognized. The author has provided the model case by provided three different types of examples from Nurse A case, Nurse B case, and Nurse C case related to the concept. The model case provides the reader with various example defining the attributes of the concept which were provided in borderline, contrary, invented and illegitimate case by the author.
- Find the alternate cases: In this step, the author has provided several cases defining the attributes of the concept like borderline, contrary, invented and illegitimate case to support the concept.
- Pinpoint the antecedents and consequences: As defined by Walker and Avant, any events or incidents that have happened prior to the occurrence of the concept is defined as the antecedents. Consequences are defined as any incidents that occur as an outcome of the occurrence of the concept.
- Define the empirical referents: this last step is defined as classes or categories of actual phenomena which by presence demonstrate the occurrence of the concept itself.
Attributes or Characteristics of the Concept
The characteristics that occur describing critical care nurses and compassion fatigue include the following attributes:
Depersonalization: It is defined by exhibiting the signs that are detached from actual reasons. Nurse A in this article represents traits of depersonalization. She is no longer calling her patients by their name but by “belly pain in room 3 or a drunk guy in room 4”. Her work performance is not best, as demonstrated by medication error and charting mistakes.
Reduced output, endurance, and diminished performance: Nurses demonstrating the compassion fatigue will demonstrate the symptoms like loss of strength, less urine output, reduced performance, weight loss or gain, loss of endurance, stomach pain, and a constant headache. In this article Nurse A and Nurse B, both demonstrated these symptoms.
Loss of empathy: After being exposed to constant stress, nurses can get desensitized to any type of emotions or feelings. Nurses with compassion fatigue will demonstrate a lack of spiritual awareness and exhibit the lethargy. Like in this article, Nurse B while giving a report on each of her patient just states that they are “all the same, just a different day”. Nurse B is not by her patient's needs and rolling her eyes at patient family member when questions were asked. Nurse B is not performing at her best.
Poor judgment: Nurses exhibiting signs of compassion fatigue will demonstrate poor judgment. In this article Nurse A is making poor judgment skills by settling the chest pain as indigestion. Nurses with the compassion fatigue will demonstrate symptoms like difficulty concentrating, intrusive imagery, loss of hope, exhaustion, and irritability.
Example of Concept’s Presence in Another Situation
As being an intensive care unit nurse, it is understandable that how difficult it is to deal with the amount of stress that we face every day. I have worked in the adult ICU, and the concept is similar. The amount of stress that a nurse or a practitioner face every day is extreme. Working with the critically ill infants and their families can be very stressful and emotionally exhausting where the nurses are at high risk for burnout and compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue by definition is a state of physical, mental, and emotional effect due to constant exposure to the critical or traumatic situation when we are providing care to the critical patient. Here I am giving an example of one of my co-workers who demonstrated the compassion fatigue. Her name is Nurse Tina.
One-night Nurse Tina was taking care of another who just delivered the baby who was a stillbirth. In the delivery process, mother bled profusely and was code hemorrhage meaning patient was crashing hemodynamically and required critical services to replenish the circulatory system with the rapid infuser. The mother was transferred to the ICU. The mother was very only 30 years old. Nurse Tina took care of the patient for 3 days and on the last day, the patient demanded to see the stillbirth child. The child was brought to the unit to the patient room. Nurse Tina gave the baby to the patient and Nurse Tina left the room. Compassion fatigue not only impacts the caregiver but also the parents and their families. From that day, she is no longer calling her patients by their name but calling them by room numbers, or by their complaint like patient complaining of pain in room 2. Her work presentation was no longer optimal as she was making a lot of charting mistakes. She was nearly caught by making narcotic counting mistakes. She was also refusing to take care of mother and baby cases. Nurse Tina was clearly demonstrating the trait of depersonalization and loss of empathy. The nurses who demonstrate the signs of compassion fatigue are less likely to effectively support mother-infant and dad simultaneously.
Hypothesize of the Concept for Further Development
A clearly described concepts should endorse the institution of experience, simplify communication among people, and enable the recall of the phenomena which may not present immediately. The concept should be focused on policy to evaluate safe, effective, quality care that supports people health. Nurses and practitioner put everything else before their own need and help the critical patient to flourish. I have chosen the Jean Watson nursing theory of caring. Many people seek to become nurses because they have compassion and enjoy caring for those who are in need. Jean Watson's Philosophy and Science of Caring addresses how nurses care for their patients, and how that caring translates into better health plans to help patients get healthy.
I choose many concepts but the one that best supports this theory is compassion fatigue. Nurses and practitioner should be able to give excellent care to the patient without compromising their own health. it is very essential for the employees and the organization to recognize the early signs of burn out and compassion fatigue.
It is very important that anyone working in healthcare fields participate in self-care practices, learn to control their response to the stressor surrounding them, be aware of the negative attitudes and seek help when necessary. It is also noted that people who work with the suffering end up suffering themselves, especially with constant exposure.
