What leads to burnout for nurses? What can we do about it?

1. Compassion
and Self-
Renewal For
Nurses
Patti Newton BSN, RNC-OB
April 16, 2011

2. Objectives
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
 Explain compassion as it pertains to nursing
 Explain why nurturing oneself is important for
the nurse
 Describe 3 negative effects seen in the
workplace when the nurse is not self-nurtured
 Describe 3 ways in which the nurse can
nurture herself/himself
 List 2 barriers nurses may have to self-nurturing

3. Code of Ethics
“The nurse, in all professional
relationships, practices with compassion
and respect for the inherent dignity,
worth, and uniqueness of every
individual, unrestricted by considerations
of social or economic status, personal
attributes, or the nature of health
problems.”
(ANA Code of Ethics, Provision 1)

4. What is compassion?
 “Looking inward and outward…”
(Turkel and Ray, 2004)
 “…integrity that can reveal the path to
personal excellence and outstanding
social influence”
(Turkel and Ray, 2004)
 “sorrow or pity for the sufferings of
another person”
(www.thefreedictionary.com)

5. “Registered nurses have high
levels of compassion for others,
or they would not have become
registered nurses”
(Turkel and Ray, 2004).

6. “In order to be compassionate,
one needs
courage
and inner strength”
(Traverso, S., 2011).

7. But…
When we are struggling or
hurting, we don’t feel very
courageous or strong, so the
level of compassion we can
show to our patients will be
affected.

8. Taking care of everyone
except our own individual souls
leads to burnout, fatigue, hurtful
words and behaviors.

9. “The inability to care for self
frequently shows up as violence at
the workplace. One particularly
alarming area of practice that has
been discovered is horizontal
violence – where nurses … develop
destructive behaviors toward self and
other nurses, especially younger,
idealist nurses who are beginning
their professional journey”
(Turkel and Ray, 2004).

10. “Emotional symptoms (of work
stress) may include loss of self-
esteem, a sense of detachment,
irritability, helplessness, and
avoidance of co-workers”
(Brown, p. 76)

11. “Physical symptoms of work stress
may include fatigue, immune
system impairment, headaches,
insomnia, and heartburn”
(Brown, p. 76)

12. “Behavioral symptoms may
include tardiness, absenteeism,
missed meetings, drug and
alcohol use, and lack of
connection with others”
(Brown, p. 76)

13. So…
WHAT DO WE DO ?

14. The Value of Self-Renewal
“As self is renewed, personal and
professional commitments
become balanced and inner
energy is replenished”
(Turkel and Ray, 2004).

15. What would it take
to
renew
you?

16. Develop your own plan of self-
care
Think about your visions, desires
and goals
Use days off for personal
renewal

17. Start the workday with a
centering or relaxation ritual
Take breaks off the unit
Eat lunch off the unit
Meditation Room

18. “As role models for patients, co-
workers, and family members, nurses
lacking self-care may unintentionally
convey to others that health is not
valued”
(Connolly, Gulanick, Keough & Holm, 1997).

19. Barriers to Self-Care
 Lack of time
 Lack of knowledge
 Lack of self-care skills
 Lack of motivation
(Brown, p. 76)

20. “As more nurses experience self-
renewal, they will be creating a
community of caring for self,
colleagues, patients, and visitors and
establishing deep personal
connections with each other”
(Turkel and Ray, 2004).

21. “Self-care highlights the
greatest asset of all –
the individual.
Self-care is critical to health and
healing”
(Turkel and Ray, 2004).

22. A nurse who is holistic and
self-caring
can create harmony with others
through authentic presence
in the caring moment”
(Turkel and Ray, 2004).

23. References
American Nurses Association, Code of Ethics,
www.nursingworld.org
Brown, C.J. (2009). Self-renewal in nursing leadership:
The lived experience of caring for self. Journal of
Holistic Nursing, 27 (2),75 – 84.
Compassion, www.thefreedictionary.com

24. References
Connolly, M., Gulanick, M., Keough, V., & Holm, K.
(1997). Health practices of critical care nurses: Are
these nurses good role models for patients?
American Journal of Critical Care, 6(4), 261-266.
Traverso, S., (2001). What is compassion?
www.seedsofunfolding.com
Turkel, M.C. & Ray, M.A. (2004). Creating a caring
practice environment through self-renewal. Nursing
Administration Quarterly, 28 (4), 249-254.