...Practice: “Stress nurses face caring for palliative care patients?” Regina Nelson Governors State University Abstract Palliative Care Nurses are at risk of experiencing stressful situations related to symptom management and death. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the current stress nurses face caring for Palliative Care patients. Four Nursing Journals and one Psycho-Oncology were reviewed. There was strong evidence to support that nurse’s experience stress caring for Palliative care patients. Common concerns in the first study were caring for a dying patient; personal level, comfort of the patient, and mediating between patient and family. The second study reported physical and emotional health consequences for nurses who provide hospice and palliative care over extended periods of time. The third study of nursesreported job satisfaction, stressors, coping strategies, and support. The fourth study nurses had 10 themes that conceptualize their work that may enable palliative care workers to remain resilient and effectively buffer or moderate stressful effects. The fifth study reported routinization of care, lack of nursing staff’s availability for emotional engagement, frequent interruptions, quiet afternoons, upbeat and positive culture, and a matter of fact attitude surrounding death and dying ,were all the behaviors that “being with” could not create. Although the report showed nurses able to cope by not “being with” the overall impact is stress related to...
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...COMPASSION FATIGUE AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS A PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF UNIVERSITY OF THE VISAYAS CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN NURSING MAJOR IN NURSING MANAGEMENT BY: CONCHITA BRANZUELA BERGADO CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM INTRODUCTION: Quality of life among healthcare providers will matter on the quality and safety of patient care. Today the proportion of acute patients entering the health care system through emergency departments continues to grow and the number of patients in the Intensive care unit also increasing. In emergency room department, the Emergency medical services (EMS) workers are primary providers of pre-hospital emergency medical care and integral components of disaster response. The potentially hazardous job duties of EMS workers include lifting patients and equipment, treating acute injuries or life-threatening illnesses, handling hazardous chemical and body substances, and participating in the emergency transport of patients in ground and air vehicles. These duties create an inherent risk for EMS worker occupational injuries and illnesses. Healthcare workers in the Emergency medicine has evolved to treat conditions that pose a threat to life and have a significant risk of morbidity. Work-related stressors in which Emergency Department nurses encounter are numerous as a result of the...
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...Applying Watson’s Theory to Mind-Body-Spirit Dimensions Jean Watson’s theory of human caring is one that elevates nursing from being merely a clinical experience to becoming an intersection with the patient that affects the patient deeply in all three dimensions—the mind, body, and spirit. In order to achieve this three-pronged impact, the nurse must create caring-healing moments with the patient. As Watson (2006, p. 51) points out, “The whole caring-healing consciousness is contained within a single caring moment…Caring consciousness transcends time, space, and physicality—that is, caring goes beyond the given moment, and situation, and informs the future experiences of practitioner and patient.” Watson (2006, p. 51) contends that through these caring-healing moments, the patient’s human dignity is preserved, and the relationship between patient and nurse is marked by integrity. The application of Watson’s theory has resulted in remarkable successes in terms of healing patients, but it is problematic because of the difficulty in measuring intangible qualities such as mental and spiritual dimensions of healing. It is important for nurses to have access to assessment tools that can assist them in evaluating clients in various stages of health, illness, stress, and life so that Watson’s theory can be applied accordingly and its results can be aptly measured. Two such tools are the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale and the Hassles and Uplifts Scale. Each tool...
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...stressors of being in patients homes, caring for the patients themselves, and the patients families on the nurses caring for them. Stressors of Home Care Devlin and McIlfatrick (2010) research shows that a majority of end of life patients would prefer to leave this world within their homes. Wanting to live out their final...
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...Watson's Theory of Human Caring Aubrey Thomas NUR/403 February, 18th 2013 Stephanie Merck Watson's Theory of Human Caring A few weeks ago I was assigned to provide care for Mrs Tevez an 82yrs old female of Spanish origin who spoke very little English. Mrs.Tevez had a cervical fracture that resulted from a fall at home. Her admission to hospital was for immobilization with a cervical collar and bed rest pending possible surgery. She was considered a high risk patient because of the possibility of serious complications from her cervical fracture. It is amazing how a caring moment can have such a remarkable effect on persons who are part of that moment. A caring moment is the human care transaction that takes place as a consequence of the human care process. This occasion is where a contact is established between the subjective world of the nurse and recipient of care. This shared moment has the potential to touch the higher spiritual self or soul, and thus transpersonal human caring may occur. Transpersonal caring relationships consist of connections that embrace the spirit or soul of the other through the processes of full, authentic, caring and healing attention in the moment (Watson, 1988). Transpersonal caring implies that the nurse consciously focuses on self and other within interpersonal exchanges that are grounded in the present moment, while at the same time going beyond the moment and opening to new possibilities. The nurse values the existence of the other's...
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...Assessment Tool Analysis Paper Assessment tools are created to help nurses provide competent nursing care for each unique patient. Assessment is an essential part from the nursing process throughout which nurses collect details about the patient and family to create a care plan. “Assessment involves collecting information about person’s circumstances and needs, and making sense of that information in order to decide what support, treatment or care to provide” (Slater & McCormack, 2005). In order for nurses to make sound clinical decisions, the nurse needs the information gathered from assessment. This paper will analysis three assessment tools used in healthcare, they are the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and the Coping Resources Inventory for Stress Scale. These assessment tools can be used and applied to a wide range of ages and vulnerable populations. Having a better understanding on how the patient perceives themselves, the nurse is able to develop a plan of care to address the body, mind, and spirit. Dysfunctional Attitude Scale The first assessment tool is the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS). This test measures many different areas of the personality such as approval, achievement, perfectionism, entitlement, omnipotence, and autonomy (DeGraaf, Roelofs, & Huibers, 2009). The main measure is of dysfunctional attitude which is a sign of depression. As a nurse this is a valuable tool to help find depressive symptoms in a patient. By using this test...
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...This secondary stress is also referred to as secondary trauma, which can impact both spouses and children. Secondary trauma can directly impact children, causing behavioral, emotional, and psychological issues. Caregiver burden is another term associated with the difficulties related to caring for someone with PTSD. Caregivers may be faced with a number of stressors that go along with caring for a veteran with PTSD, including financial strain, managing the veterans symptoms, dealing with doctors appointments, caring for children, and the loss of intimacy within the relationship. Caring for an individual with PTSD can affect the mental health and life satisfaction of the individual caring for the...
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...Comparing Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring And The Neuman Systems Model Jayanna Volm Concordia University Comparing Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring And The Neuman Systems Model Nursing frameworks and conceptual models are imperative as a foundation for nursing practice. These frameworks provide recognition, understanding, and the ability to manage phenomena in which nursing comes into contact. These frameworks also provide the nurse with a systematic approach to interventions and goal attainment. The purpose of this paper is to compare Neuman Systems Model to Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring. According to Alligood and Tomey the Neuman Systems Model is classified as a nursing conceptual model. “Nursing conceptual models are concepts and their relationships that specify a perspective from which to view phenomena specific to the discipline of nursing. Different conceptual models provide various perspectives or frameworks for thinking critically and making nursing decisions” (Alligood & Tomey, 2010, p. 223). The nursing conceptual models are comprehensive and define the metaparadigm according to their framework. Tourville and Ingalls categorize the Neuman Systems Model as a systems model. They define a systems model of nursing as viewing “the person as a multidimensional being who reacts continually to a world of stressors” (2003, Systems Model, para. 1). Systems may be organizations, communities, businesses, or social structures. Within the large...
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...has always been caring. Since the start of professional nursing with Florence Nightingale, theorists have been writing about caring. This paper highlights three caring theories Madeleine Leininger, Jean Watson, and the combine theory of Patricia Benner and Judith Wrubel these theorists each has developed a theory of caring. This paper will examine each by comparing and contrasting on how each looks at caring. Leininger Madeline Leininger developed her first theories in the mid-1950s. Her main theory is transcultural nursing and caring theory. This theory was formed by an inadequate knowledge of cultural factors that represented a missing link to providing quality nursing care. Leininger believed that caring is universally present in all cultures (Nelson, 2006). Leininger’s definition of caring for nursing is “the central and unifying domain for the body of knowledge and practices in nursing’ It is critical to human growth, development and survival and has helped human beings through cultural evolution” (Cohen, 1991). Leininger’s transcultural theory of nursing her assumption human caring is a universal expression. However, patterns vary among different cultures. Caring has multiple dimensions of biophysical, psychological, cultural, social and environmental. These are practiced and used in practicing in a holistic manner (Cohen, 1991). In Leininger, main belief is human caring is universal;...
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...Theoretical Framework of Compassion Fatigue September 11, 2014 Theoretical Framework of Compassion Fatigue Compassion fatigue, which is also known, as secondary traumatic stress is a natural effect that occurs as a result of taking care of patients who are in pain, stressed, suffering, or traumatized. Compassion fatigue commonly affects nurses who show extreme empathy for patients and their relatives. Empathy is the act of putting oneself in another person’s situation or understanding one's feelings (Walker & Alligood, 2001). It has always been a nurse’s role to show empathy to patients and their relatives. In the process of sympathizing and empathizing, nurses can easily develop compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue affects nurses physically, psychologically, and spiritually in addition to affecting their daily duties. Nurses may intentionally stop working with certain patients or reduce their empathy for patients, and others may have repetitive call-ins to avoid working specific patient populations. These adverse effects can easily lower hospital or institution productivity. Therefore, it is advisable for nurses to be encouraged to seek advice and counseling from counselors, mentors, psychologists, and other responsible persons. It is also necessary for nurses to be aware of the symptoms of compassion fatigue to facilitate taking preventative measures as early as possible. The compassion fatigue theory is connected to the relationship between the patient and the...
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...Palliative care is defined as Palliative care nurses are at risk of work stress because their part includes contact to frequent deaths and family grieving. Based on the definition of Palliative care, one can recognize that palliative care nurses are prone to high levels of stress and burnout increased instances of stress and burnout. Palliative care nurses envisioned to develop the quality of life for both patients suffering a serious disease or at end of life and their families There are many causes of stress and loss among palliative care nurses: poor prognosis of the patient, complication of disease condition, dealing with death and dying, uncooperative patient and the family members. Palliative care nurses facing the above causes are disposed to high levels of stress and burnout. According to dealing with death and dying and dealing with uncooperative family members and patients have all been found to be stressors experienced by nurses. As mentioned in Palliative care nurses experience many stressors in their workplace that rise their stress levels and burnout. Stress can be viewed as The main stressors cause to the palliative care nurses providing end life care, Because they deal with advanced progressive disease, which is defined as The advanced progressive disease leads to death. states These causes’ stressors to palliative care...
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... Compassion fatigue is a contemporary label affixed to the concept of personal vicarious exposure to trauma on a regular basis. Yet this phenomenon of compassion fatigue lacks clarity. In this article, the author begins by describing compassion fatigue and distinguishing compassion fatigue from burnout. Next she discusses risk factors for, and the assessment of compassion fatigue. The need to support nurses who witness tragedy and workplace interventions to confront compassion fatigue are described. Citation: Boyle, D., (Jan 31, 2011) "Countering Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 16, No. 1, Manuscript 2. DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol16No01Man02 Key words: Compassion fatigue, nurse stress, work setting improvements, communication skills Nurses care for ill, wounded, traumatized, and vulnerable patients in their charge. This exposes them to considerable pain, trauma, and suffering on a routine basis (Coetzee & Klopper, 2010; Hooper, Craig, Janvrin, Wetzel, & Reimels, 2010). While many nurses perceive their work as a calling, few anticipate the emotional implications and sequelae that come from their close interpersonal relationships with patients and families (Aycock & Boyle, 2009; Walton & Alvarez, 2010). Compassion, or the feeling of emotion which ensues when a person is moved by the distress or suffering of another, is foundational to...
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...Motivation and Stress: A Discussion of Management Recommendations for a Local Hospital The following report was written by a private consultant hired to examine the issues being experienced by Delmar General Hospital with their nursing staff. The report begins with a discussion of nursing, moves on to an overview of motivational theories, as well as stress and its effects on motivation. The issues occurring within this hospital with their nursing staff will be reviewed and interpreted by the private consultant. The private consultant will then conclude with a discussion of her final recommendations in terms of what can be done by Delmar General and their management staff to increase motivation and decrease stress levels, with examples from supporting research. No matter what ones goal may be, motivation always plays a big role in achievement. In the workplace, individuals must be motivated to perform their best however, frequent conflicts can often hinder ones motivation levels by causing stress. Managers within the workplace can attempt to achieve maximum productivity while maintaining a positive employee affect through the use of various kinds of motivational plans. The nursing profession is one of many within healthcare that deal with a lot of stress and motivational issues. Currently nursing is facing a series of issues that makes understanding stress and motivation very important for healthcare managers. It was estimated by the US Department...
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...Mostly encountering effects are influenced by the caregiver demographic and personal characteristics, resources and support system. Even consideration of the patient's level of impairment, hours caring for them and if a spouse or adult child. Although the caregivers health is not the responsibility of the patient's health, caring for someone is a clinical...
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...do this by providing strategies to help her come to terms with her feelings. She will be able to release stress and feelings of unhappiness to the counsellor in which they are willing to hear so they may be able to give help. A counsellor may refer Helena to other practitioners, such as GPs, social services if they believe that she isn’t safe or needs help that they cannot provide her with, such as medication. GPs may provide Helena with treatment for any health issues she may have/risk getting, such as depression, anxiety, anger, anorexia etc. Many young carers are prone to developing health issues due to stress, unhappiness etc. If the GP believes that the Helena cannot cope with the stress of being a young carer and is in serious danger for many reasons they may refer Helena to social services. Social services can provide Helena’s mother with another carer that will help Helena by relieving stress and anxiety when she is at school (so she doesn’t think her mother will not be able to cope without her and feel guilty for leaving her on her own) and will also be able to give Helena more time to concentrate on school work and have some social/free time. Social services can also provide Helena’s mother with respite care, which is temporary institutional care of a sick, elderly, or disabled person, providing relief for their usual carer. This will relieve Helena duties of caring for her mother and give her time to rest, socialise, come to terms with her feelings etc. Social services...
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