The Role of Emotional Support Programs in Reducing Compassion Fatigue Among Hospice Nurses
Posted: Oct 22, 2023
Abstract
Compassion fatigue represents a significant occupational hazard for healthcare professionals, particularly those working in palliative and hospice care settings where emotional demands are consistently high. Hospice nurses, who provide care for patients at the end of life and support for their families, face unique psychological challenges that can lead to emotional exhaustion, diminished empathy, and reduced professional effectiveness. The cumulative effect of repeated exposure to patient suffering and grief, combined with the intense emotional connections formed with patients and families, creates conditions ripe for the development of compassion fatigue. While the phenomenon has been recognized in healthcare literature, there remains a critical gap in understanding how structured emotional support programs can effectively mitigate these effects specifically within hospice nursing populations. Traditional approaches to addressing workplace stress in healthcare have often focused on individual coping strategies or brief educational interventions. However, these approaches may be insufficient for addressing the complex, multifaceted nature of compassion fatigue in hospice care. The present study introduces a novel, comprehensive emotional support program specifically designed for hospice nurses, incorporating elements from multiple therapeutic traditions and support modalities.
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