Dear Ms. Spiritual Matters,
I work in a fast-paced hospital where I almost never get a lunch and often only a 15-minute break during my 12-hour shift. Instead of coming home pleased with the care I am able to give, I return to my family hiding the anger and tiredness I feel with a disingenuous smile. Whatever joy I was able to give patients has been blown away by the storm of emotions that come over me. My colleagues and I see no end in sight. Some are talking about leaving. Others already have new jobs in less challenging environments.
In my heart, my family must come first. Do you have any suggestions?
Your reader,
Robin
Dear Robin,
You are not alone. Your feelings are recognized as “compassion fatigue.” Those who in their daily work witness and respond to suffering and death are susceptible.
Compassion fatigue affects many caregivers, from nurses and emergency medical technicians and paramedics to firefighters and police officers. Estimates indicate that compassion fatigue affects two-thirds of caregivers at some point in their careers. Giving too much of oneself in order to relieve someone else’s pain is not sustainable without personal consequences.
Caregivers may quit their very important roles in society because they are plagued by feelings of inadequacy. They report symptoms of anxiety such as insomnia, weight gain or weight loss, headache or stomachache. They may argue with coworkers and family members over inconsequential details. They often use medications and alcohol to soothe their unhappiness. Research shows that professionals suffering compassion fatigue take more sick days. They also make more errors at work.
What turns around compassion fatigue? Spiritual care of oneself! Studies show that caregivers who participate in spiritual renewal activities such as meditation, contemplation while walking, and other spiritual practices, such as Lectio Divina, as well as personal or group reading and discussion of scriptures were less susceptible to compassion fatigue. Instead, they reported compassion satisfaction, which is the ability to receive good feelings from helping people through their suffering and loss. Consistently practicing a form of spiritual renewal is protective.
I encourage you to engage in a spiritual practice that gives you a feeling of renewal and strength. Practice it! You will be able to come home to your family invigorated by the contributions you are making.
Sincerely,
Ms. Spiritual Matters
Susan Schoenbeck holds Baccalaureate and Master’s degrees in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is an experienced educator and teaches nursing students at Walla Walla University — Portland, Oregon campus. She is an oblate of a Benedictine Monastery where she learned centering and contemplative meditationpractices. She is author of the book, Zen and the Art of Nursing, Good Grief: Daily Meditations, and Near- Death Experiences: Visits to the Other Side.