Free Self-Reflection Essay Sample

Compassion fatigue was first used in the year 1980s. According to Hinderer et al (2014), the term compassion fatigue was used to describe the impact of traumatic stress brought upon professionals in the health care profession. According to the researchers, it is defined as the nurse’s loss of the ability to care for his or her patients. According to Todaro-Franceschi (2013), it is also a condition where there is a grave lack of self-care pertaining to the individuals working in the healthcare industry. It was said that the most basic thing that nurses do is to care for patients. However, in order to deliver proper care, the nurse must learn how to take care of him or herself first. In order to avoid compassion fatigue, Todaro-Franceschi (2013), has established three steps. These are:
1. Acknowledge Feelings
2. Recognize Choices and Take Purposeful Action
3. Turn Outward Toward Self and Others
As I assess myself, I realized that I easily get attached to people thus making me vulnerable to getting sad over the loss of friendships. Since I know that this is my weakness as a healthcare provider, I have realized that I must be able to distance myself from my patients or clients and that I must maintain a professional relationship. As my self-care plan, I aim to assess myself more and look for my loopholes as a giver of care. I also plan on learning on keeping professionalism as a priority in this profession. My attachment to others is considered a liability and is a vulnerability that must be addressed the soonest. Learning to be a b it distant is my continuous project in order to succeed in this profession. Lastly, I will seek the advice of my co-workers for other things that they might see in me as my weakness in this profession.
Thanks to this class, I have learned to look deeper within myself. I have learned to assess my strengths and weaknesses that can later on be used as an advantage while working with clients. I have realized that it is truly a must to be professional when facing clients; however, it also does not hurt to show care and empathy towards the client’s condition. I have learned that the people that we care for appreciate even the little gestures given to them. A pat on the back can go a long way as I have learned through this course. Another thing that I have learned more importantly is that I must also be kind to myself as I am to others. I realized that how can I give the love that I must spread if I don’t have it myself. For this reason, I feel grateful to have attended this subject. Because of this class, I have learned to appreciate myself and the health care profession more than I have before.

References

Hinderer, K., VonRueden, K., Friedmann, E., McQuillan, K., Gilmore, R., & Kramer, B. (2014). Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction, and Secondary Traumatic Stress inTrauma Nurses. Journal of Trauma Nursing, 4. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org.lib.kaplan.edu/10.1097/JTN.0000000000000055
Todaro-Franceschi, V. (2013). Compassion fatigue and burnout in nursing: Enhancing professional quality of life. New York, NY: Springer Pub.