Self-Care a Must for Nurses to Combat Compassion Fatigue

According to this recent article from Becker’s Hospital Review, compassion fatigue – which is extremely common for nurses providing constant patient care – can be prevented. Dr. Sharon Willey, DNP, RN explains, “Compassion fatigue has been described as an emotional cost of caring for traumatized individuals or bearing witness to others’ trauma. It can happen when nurses provide prolonged care to individuals who have experienced traumatic events.” 

According to Dr. Wiley, in order to prevent compassion fatigue, nurses need to prioritize and protect their own mental and physical well-being by practicing self-care. This is extremely important, as a healthy work/life balance and self-care tactics are vital resources that serve as a barrier to compassion fatigue. Nurses are encouraged to prioritize time for “activities that bring peace, calm and rest,” and recognize the behavioral, emotional and physical warning signs of compassion fatigue.