Critical Incident Stress Management CISM

Compassion Fatigue Evaluation

The term caregiver has a number of meanings in contemporary medical jargon. It can be the unpaid family member of someone requiring acute care, it can be a certified medical worker, or it can be someone in the social services field that either supervises care or is actually hands on. The person receiving care may be in the hospital, hospice, a nursing facility, or even at home. The quality and quantity of care changes, too, based on the circumstances of the individual. Most caregivers in the United States tend to be female (60-75%), and there are about 50 million people directly involved in the field, with 30% aged 65 of older. It is also interesting to note that "free" caregiving services provide over $300 billion in aid, more than twice as much as is actually spent on homecare and nursing home services in total (Selected Caregiver Statistics, 2010; Caregiving Statistics, 2010). With such a large population of those under care, however, there are a number of issues that caregivers face, in general. Many caregivers find that their own health deteriorates from overwork and stress involving the emotionality of care; many find that they neglect their own psychological and physical health in favor of those under care, often exacerbating a number of chronic conditions. However, it is the emotional toll of grief for the caregiver that often takes a serious toll on caregivers. By the very nature, caregivers know that the person they are caring for is seriously ill, many on the final stages of their life. Nevertheless, the grief experienced at the demise of a patient, loved-one, or even client is palpable for a caregiver, often moreso because it happens on a fairly regular basis (Davidson, 2002).

Compassion Fatigue - Numerous studies that caregivers have a high level of something known as compassion fatigue. Each day they are presented with heart rendering situations, emotional turmoil, and must try to maintain an attitude of care without letting their own feelings get in the way of their job. Whether a cancer nurse, or veteranarian technologist, or simply someone working in a nursing care facility, compassion fatigue is an important and prevelent concern, and one that should be addressed for all care givers (Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, 2011). Because compassion fatigue plays such an integral role in the lives of so many, a self-test and intervention system is important for health care workers.

Evaluation -- There are a number of different Compassionate Caring tests, but all share a similar rubric and template: which particularl individual traits are hot buttons regarding external and internal perceptions of care; what is the test taker (the individual) missing within their life; what types of actualization are necessary for the individual? Taking the test was easy, straight-forward, but yet enlightening. Some of the highlights:

I am a 40-year-old Male; I had really not experienced what I thought were overt symptoms of compassionate fatigue, yet once I took the test, I found that there were areas of my life that I was not complete aware of that were "hidden stressors."

I was indeed surprised by the findings of the test. While I rarely scored a (0) -- Never or (5) Very Often, I did find that there were enough (3-4) somewhat to often, symptoms to make it rather uncomforable for me. These were most often focused on internalization of events that cause me to be somewhat inbalanced about work/home. Instead of leaving work issues and stresses at home, I find that I often carry many of the stressors with me. Also, without adequate peer support, I am sometimes unable to share my feelings openly and honestly, and therefore internalize the stress within other aspects and people, in my life.