Nursing administration quarterly
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The effort in hospitals to improve the patient experience has yielded a new impetus to address compassion fatigue (CF), a combination of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Over the last 3 years, Barnes-Jewish Hospital has developed a systemic program for CF resiliency. An initial evaluation of the extent to which CF was affecting the hospital's oncology staff led to the formal implementation of a resiliency program for oncology registered nurses. ⋯ Developing an institutional culture of recognition and support for CF is critical for health care organizations. Establishing such a culture may help managers proactively create work environments that provide opportunities for connection and support among staff. Compassion fatigue training allows professional caregivers to reconnect to their personal mission and then truly begin to connect with an organization's values and mission.
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A healthy work environment can improve patient outcomes and registered nurse (RN) turnover. Creating cultures of retention and fostering healthy work environments are 2 major challenges facing nurse leaders today. ⋯ Effective leadership in the PICU is important to PICU RNs and significantly influences their decisions about staying in their current job.
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Compassion fatigue is a phenomenon commonly experienced by nurses. The cumulative emotional burden of caring for critically ill patients and their families, coupled with the increasing complexity of the health care practice environment, significantly drives the experience of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue can negatively impact nurses' physical and emotional well-being. ⋯ Opportunities for nursing renewal, coupled with a leadership culture that values renewal practices, could combat the negative effects of compassion fatigue. A Center for Nursing Renewal was created at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to provide a variety of renewal opportunities for nurses. This center is supported by a nursing culture that recognizes the ill effects of compassion fatigue and promotes wellness and renewal practices among nurses.