Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Vicarious Traumatization in Caregivers A profession in the medical field can be extremely rewarding but sometimes it can be hard on a care takers body, mind, and spirit. Medical professionals can become burned out which can lead to compassion fatigue or even vicarious traumatization. Compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and becoming burned out can be harmful to a caregiver’s physical, psychological, spiritual, and cognitive health (McSteen, 2010).
Not only is compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and being burnt out harmful to the caregiver but it also decreases the health professionals ability to care to their patients. Compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and being burnt out are extremely harmful and must be addressed and recognized, so caregivers can give adequate care to themselves as well as their patients. Burnt Out Caregivers Caregivers can sometimes become burnt out. A caregiver who is burnt out will have physical, psychological, cognitive, and relational disturbances.
Some symptoms or signs of being burnt out could include anger, frustration, fatigue, negative body language, cynicism, and withdrawal (McSteen, 2010). Being burnt out can hinder a caregivers duties, as well as be harmful to the caregivers themselves. Compassion Fatigue in Caregivers Caregivers can become burnt out, which can then lead to compassion fatigue. A caregiver that has compassion fatigue will have physical distress, psychological distress, cognitive shifts, and relational disturbances.
Some symptoms or signs of a compassion fatigued caregiver could include sadness, grief, nightmares, avoidance, addiction, increased psychological arousal, changes in beliefs, changes in expectations, detachment, and decreased intimacy (McSteen, 2010). Having compassion fatigue can hinder a caregiver’s duties, as well as be harmful to the caregivers themselves. Vicarious Traumatization in Caregivers Caregivers that have compassion fatigue can then progress to vicarious traumatization.
A caregiver who has vicarious traumatization will have physical distress, psychological distress, cognitive shifts, and relational disturbances. Cognitive alterations can sometimes become permanent in vicarious traumatization. Some symptoms and signs of vicarious traumatization could include anxiety, sadness, confusion, apathy, intrusive imagery, loss of control, loss of trust, decreased capacity for intimacy, and relational disturbances (McSteen, 2010). Having vicarious traumatization can hinder caregiver duties as well as be harmful to the caregivers themselves.
Causes for Symptoms of Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Vicarious Traumatization The symptoms of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatization are caused from being constantly exposed to death, illness, injury, and violence (McSteen, 2010). A caregiver cannot help but feel helpless and powerless in undesirable situations. Death, illness, injury, and violence lead to the symptoms of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatization (“What is compassion”, 2012). For example, death can cause sadness and grief that can lead to depression.
The symptoms of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatization are caused from uncontrollable situations and can be extremely harmful to a caregiver. Overcoming Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Vicarious Traumatization The symptoms of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatization can be overcome. A caregiver needs to analyze what they do each day. If a caregiver does not analyze their workload or what they are doing then they will not be able to figure out a solution to the distress they are feeling (Dunn, 2008).
A caregiver can also make a self-care list to help overcome burnout, compassion fatigue, or vicarious traumatization. The self-care list can include things a caregiver can do for themselves (McSteen, 2010). A caregiver can also rebalance their workload, which could relieve a lot of anxiety and stress. Just asking for help when needed could help a caregiver overcome burnout, compassion fatigue, or vicarious traumatization. Talking to someone, taking a break, and having sometime to gather thoughts can also help a caregiver overcome the negative effects of burnout, compassion fatigue, or vicarious traumatization (Dunn, 2008).
Burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatization are harmful to caregivers but can be overcome with time. Analysis of Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Vicarious Traumatization in Caregivers Compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and becoming burned out can be harmful to a caregiver’s physical, psychological, spiritual, and cognitive health (McSteen, 2010). Compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and being burnt out is harmful to the caregiver but it also decreases the health professionals ability care to their patients.
Compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and just being burnt out must be addressed, recognized, and overcome so caregivers can give adequate care to themselves and to their patients. References Dunn, L. S. (2008, April). Compassion fatigue. Retrieved from http://www. newhopenow. org/notes/archive/compassion_fatigue. html McSteen, K. L. (2010). Compassion fatigue in oncology nursing: A witness to suffering. What is compassion fatigue? (2012). Retrieved from http://www. compassionfatigue. org/pages/compassionfatigue. html.