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Recommended Citation
Giera K. Combatting Compassion Fatigue. Quality Improvement poster presentation at Elevating Nursing Excellence: Purpose, Profession, Passion; Advocate Health Midwest Region Nursing Research & Professional Development Conference 2024; November 13, 2024; virtual.
Presentation Notes
Quality Improvement poster presentation at Elevating Nursing Excellence: Purpose, Profession, Passion; Advocate Health Midwest Region Nursing Research & Professional Development Conference 2024; November 13, 2024; virtual.
Abstract
Background
The chronicity of wound care patient populations presents an array of complex comorbidities and treatment regimens. Nurses who care for these patients experience prolonged exposure to patient suffering, frustration, and the slow progression of healing, which leads to emotional exhaustion, lack of role fulfillment, and compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue arises from factors including job dissatisfaction and lack of role recognition. Decreased role satisfaction leads to increased instances of nurse and patient dissatisfaction and negative outcomes. Meaningful recognition reduces compassion fatigue and promotes compassion satisfaction.
Local Problem
Department patient satisfaction scores fluctuated, leading staff to discuss low morale and compassion fatigue. This prompted the measurement of the departments’ perceptions of their role satisfaction in relation to department success.
Method
The quality improvement project surveyed staff using Likert scale questions, pre- and post-interventions. Interventions included placing a dry-erase board with a “Healed” bell for patients to ring once healed. When a patient heals, the success of both the patient and the department is celebrated by recording the total number of healed patients in a calendar year.
Results/Conclusions
Findings post-intervention included a 135% increase in feeling “extremely satisfied” with their role, an 82% increase in “very” responses for the departments’ success being recognized, a 203% increase in “very” responses for the department’s success being correlated to job satisfaction, and a 50% increase in “very” responses that staff felt they were making a difference. In every instance, there was a significant increase in nurses feeling very accomplished and invested in the success of their wound care department.
Implications for Practice
Preventing compassion fatigue through role recognition holds significant promise for improving nurse and patient satisfaction and positive patient outcomes. By understanding the causation and complexity of compassion fatigue, targeted interventions to support nursing practice should be implemented; therefore, improving both nurse and patient satisfaction and patient outcomes.
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
11-13-2024
Combatting Compassion Fatigue
Background
The chronicity of wound care patient populations presents an array of complex comorbidities and treatment regimens. Nurses who care for these patients experience prolonged exposure to patient suffering, frustration, and the slow progression of healing, which leads to emotional exhaustion, lack of role fulfillment, and compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue arises from factors including job dissatisfaction and lack of role recognition. Decreased role satisfaction leads to increased instances of nurse and patient dissatisfaction and negative outcomes. Meaningful recognition reduces compassion fatigue and promotes compassion satisfaction.
Local Problem
Department patient satisfaction scores fluctuated, leading staff to discuss low morale and compassion fatigue. This prompted the measurement of the departments’ perceptions of their role satisfaction in relation to department success.
Method
The quality improvement project surveyed staff using Likert scale questions, pre- and post-interventions. Interventions included placing a dry-erase board with a “Healed” bell for patients to ring once healed. When a patient heals, the success of both the patient and the department is celebrated by recording the total number of healed patients in a calendar year.
Results/Conclusions
Findings post-intervention included a 135% increase in feeling “extremely satisfied” with their role, an 82% increase in “very” responses for the departments’ success being recognized, a 203% increase in “very” responses for the department’s success being correlated to job satisfaction, and a 50% increase in “very” responses that staff felt they were making a difference. In every instance, there was a significant increase in nurses feeling very accomplished and invested in the success of their wound care department.
Implications for Practice
Preventing compassion fatigue through role recognition holds significant promise for improving nurse and patient satisfaction and positive patient outcomes. By understanding the causation and complexity of compassion fatigue, targeted interventions to support nursing practice should be implemented; therefore, improving both nurse and patient satisfaction and patient outcomes.
Affiliations
Aurora Medical Center Washington County