Caregiver Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue:
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Workers, who concern with giving direct care to patients, are normally exposed to negativity and suffering on a daily basis. These workers encounter increasing demands in the place of work whereas at home they deal with their personal interest, family life and take care for their families including their aging parents (Portnoy, 2011). Burnout is a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion occurs as a result of long-term engagement in emotionally demanding situations. Burnout is normally accompanied by effects of negative and disillusionment feelings. Repeated exposure to patients' suffering can reduce the caregiver's trust in humanity and also lead to an increased sense of vulnerability. Research study reveals that burnouts among nurses negatively affects the quality of care for patients, leads to an increased absenteeism and minimizes moral and also causes financial impact on the health institution. Nurse turnover as an impact of stress has a financial impact on health organizations.
Professional caregivers including their employers should understand how to identify the signs of compassion fatigue and burnout since caregivers are at greater risk. Burnout symptoms at early stages include moodiness, reduced resiliency, often interpersonal conflicts, minimized sense of accomplishment, headaches, fatigue and frequent colds. Isabel, Ellen and Eric (2014) say that if burnout is not treated, it gradually turns into an advanced stage of indicating symptoms of irritability, underappreciated, social withdrawal, depersonalization, exhaustion, overworked and somatic complaints. Caregivers often are not aware of the negative impacts until they experience significant trauma or other health crises.
Compassion fatigue is a kind of burnout. According to Portnoy (2011), compassion fatigue arises abruptly with little warning and it is often more prevalent than burnout. An individual experiencing compassion fatigue often not only experience burnout symptoms, but also loss of hope and meaning, and feel reactions related to PTSD such as disturbing images of another horrible and traumatic materials, irritability, increased emotional numbing, easily startled, difficulty concentrating, and feeling strong anxiety. Previous trauma can be triggered. Long-term impacts are include hopelessness, minimized sense of control, diminished empathy, increased involvement in escapism, alcohol or drug use and chronic overeating.
A person can suffer both from compassion fatigue and burnout because they both overlap one another. They share certain symptoms and both lead to a financial effect on relationships and on health. Both have effects on workplace such as increased apathy, absenteeism, reduced motivation and low morale, although individuals experiencing compassion fatigue normally love their jobs. Empathy is what causes compassion fatigue. Barlow (2001) opines that compassion fatigue is a natural effect of stress that is caused as a result of assisting and taking care of suffering or traumatized individuals. It entails a preoccupation with a person or her or his trauma. It does not require being present at a stressful event; simply being exposed t...