Impact of Compassion Fatigue on Healthcare Workers' Mental Health During Pandemics and Its Implications on Patient Care

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Issue Date
2023-09-27
Authors
Arshad, Keisha
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Abstract
This paper explores the profound impact of compassion fatigue on the mental health of healthcare workers during pandemics and its consequential effects on patient care. As frontline responders to global health crises, healthcare workers face unprecedented challenges and stressors that can lead to compassion fatigue, a complex phenomenon characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment. This paper reviews existing literature and synthesizes findings to provide insights into the prevalence and contributing factors to compassion fatigue among healthcare professionals during pandemics. The research underscores the intricate relationship between compassion fatigue and healthcare workers' mental health, emphasizing the critical need for effective interventions and support mechanisms. We also examine the direct and indirect implications of healthcare workers' mental well-being on patient care quality and safety during pandemics. Factors such as decreased empathy, burnout, and reduced job satisfaction among healthcare workers are explored as potential consequences of compassion fatigue. Furthermore, this paper discusses evidence-based strategies and interventions aimed at mitigating compassion fatigue, promoting healthcare workers' resilience, and enhancing their ability to provide quality patient care during pandemics. Ultimately, this paper underscores the complex link between healthcare workers' mental health and patient care quality during pandemics and highlights the urgency of addressing compassion fatigue as a significant public health concern.
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Keywords
health care workers , compassion fatigue , burnout , vicarious trauma , patient care , epidemic , pandemic , Covid-19
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess
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