Compassion fatigue is a little known affliction which can affect so many helping professionals. It’s a combination of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and running out of empathy, and it can be so hard to manage. I’ve talked about compassion fatigue before, but today I will go more in depth on the concept of compassion fatigue and the various helping professionals who may experience it.
On today’s episode, we’re going to delve into the contributing factors to compassion fatigue, such as a lack of appreciation, being overworked, underpaid, and exposed to traumatic events and people. We take a deep dive into the physical, psychological, emotional, professional, and spiritual symptoms of compassion fatigue, which can develop gradually or suddenly. We’ll also consider the typical factors in professional caregiving environments that contribute to compassion fatigue, such as performance demands exceeding human capabilities, insufficient resources to meet patient needs, and ongoing exposure to traumatic events.
In addition, I also mention a 30 item screening test developed by Beth Hudnall Stamm called the Professional Quality of Life Self-Score Measure (or the “pro qual” for short). You can find that here.
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