Nurses are some of the most compassionate people I know. But for a variety of reasons nurses are highly prone to compassion fatigue.

• Demanding work
• Watching your patients die
• Seeing a patient who is in constant pain
• Exposure to trauma and abuse
• Being in unsafe situations

When you are constantly bombarded with situations that spend your compassion resources you can start to feel depleted, even resentful, or empty. Compassion fatigue is a real phenomenon and contributor to burnout. Going through a the COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased public awareness to the needs of nurse to build resilience and emotional resources.

It can also affect anyone.  It seems our current social landscape dominated by cancel culture is to drown out the voices of others. But compassionate listening is a skill we can all learn to bring us together.

I recently wrote an article on compassionate listening for a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading compassion. It has challenged me to become more mindful of my motivations to help others and to make sure that I take actions to refresh and restore my compassion. Here are a few ideas you can put into action:

• Talk to someone about it – coworker, friend, spiritual advisor, therapist
• Journal about it
• Find a mentor
• Practice Yoga or breathing exercises

What are some ways that you take care of and restore your heart and soul as a nurse? Comment below.

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Categories: Healthcare, Nursing, Careers