What is compassion in patient care?
Compassion: is how care is given through relationships based on. empathy, respect and dignity – it can also be described as intelligent kindness, and is central to how people perceive their care.
The definition of compassion, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." And the New Oxford American Dictionary defines compassion as "a sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others."
- Speak with kindness.
- Apologize when you've made a mistake.
- Listen carefully and without judgment.
- Encourage other people.
- Offer to help someone with a task.
- Be happy for someone else's success.
- Accept people for who they are.
Compassionate care is associated with improved outcomes and greater patient adherence. And among providers , extending kindness is associated with reduced burnout and greater well-being.
Examples of compassion in nursing include: Being empathetic to better understand what your patients are going through. Getting to know your patients to better understand their needs. Giving patients someone to talk to, which is especially important for patients who don't have family or friends to lean on.
- Call a friend that you haven't spoken to for a while.
- Send a letter to a grandparent.
- Send flowers to a friend.
- Offer to pick up some groceries for your elderly neighbour.
- Send someone a handwritten note.
- Offer to babysit for a friend.
- Walk your friend's dog.
- Listen to understand.
- Keep your promises.
- Be encouraging.
- Connect with others.
- Express gratitude.
- Share information.
- Speak up.
- Walk in their shoes.
Compassion is essential in the care of vulnerable people. Being compassionate involves recognising and responding to a vulnerable individual with empathy, while maintaining the dignity of both those receiving care and providing care (Burridge et al 2017).
Within the healthcare community, compassion is defined as “the recognition, understanding, and emotional resonance with another's concerns, distress, pain or suffering, coupled with relational action to ameliorate these states” (Lown, 2016).
- Step 1: Practice Forgiveness. Stop punishing yourself for your mistakes. ...
- Step 2: Employ a Growth Mindset. At the heart of Carol Dweck's research is the impact of our mindset on wellbeing. ...
- Step 3: Express Gratitude. ...
- Step 4: Find the Right Level of Generosity. ...
- Step 5: Be Mindful.
How do you demonstrate compassion values?
- Being alive to the suffering of others.
- Being non-judgmental.
- Tolerating personal distress.
- Being empathic.
- Taking appropriate action.
There are numerous proven benefits of both self-compassion and compassion toward others, such as increased happiness, improved medical outcomes, reduced stress, reduced psychopathology, and increased social connectedness.
- Show respect. ...
- Express gratitude. ...
- Enable access to care. ...
- Involve patients' family members and friends. ...
- Coordinate patient care with other providers. ...
- Provide emotional support. ...
- Engage patients in their care plan. ...
- Address your patients' physical needs.
- familial compassion: compassion we have for a family member who is suffering. ...
- familiar compassion: compassion for people we have some form of relationship with. ...
- stranger compassion: compassion for people we do not know.
Meditative compassion practices focus on developing feelings of kindness and goodwill towards yourself, loved ones, and those out with your usual social group. Neff provides seven guided self-compassion meditations including loving-kindness, affectionate breathing, and the compassionate body scan.
- You're making total sense.
- I understand how you feel.
- You must feel so hopeless.
- I just feel such despair in you when you talk about this.
- You're in a tough spot here.
- I can feel the pain you feel.
- The world needs to stop when you're in this much pain.
- I wish you didn't have to go through that.
are trustworthy, dependable and are there for you when you need them • show empathy, compassion and kindness. work together with you, and the people who are important to you, by making sure that your wishes are taken into account when decisions are being made.
Speak respectfully to and about the patient.
Speak without jargon and in terms that a patient can understand. At the same time, do not patronize or speak down to a patient. Practice patience and empathy. Do not make jokes about the patient even if you think they are out of earshot.
- Let people choose their own clothing. ...
- Involve them in decisions relating to their care. ...
- Address the person appropriately. ...
- Make food look appealing and tasty. ...
- Respect personal space and possessions. ...
- Hygiene and personal care. ...
- Promote social activities. ...
- Engage in conversation.
- Understand that listening is more important than talking.
- Talk in a soft voice while showing our concern.
- Focus on their feelings and their needs.
- Asking them how they are feeling, if we think anything is wrong.
How can healthcare workers show empathy?
- Listen to Patients and Show Curiosity About Their Lives. ...
- Be Kind and Respectful. ...
- Develop Cultural Competence and Awareness. ...
- Use Self-Care Strategies to Prevent Compassion Fatigue. ...
- Lead by Example.
- Perspective taking. ...
- Staying out of judgment. ...
- Recognizing emotions someone else is feeling. ...
- Communicating that you understand an emotion. ...
- I put together a video which talks about this in more detail.
- “I'm here for you.”
- “What do you need right now?”
- “I'm happy to listen any time.”
- “I'm sorry you are going through this.”
- “That sounds really challenging.”
- “I can see how that would be difficult.”
For example, you likely smile and take the trouble to remember people's names: that's empathy in action. Giving people your full attention in meetings, being curious about their lives and interests, and offering constructive feedback are all empathic behaviors, too. Practice these skills often.
Few things nurture empathy, compassion, and kindness more than acts of service.
- Cultivate curiosity. ...
- Step out of your comfort zone. ...
- Receive feedback. ...
- Examine your biases. ...
- Walk in the shoes of others. ...
- Difficult, respectful conversations. ...
- Join a shared cause. ...
- Read widely.
- Cognitive Empathy: the ability to understand another's perspective. ...
- Emotional Empathy: the ability to physically feel what another person feels. ...
- Empathic Concern: the ability to sense what another needs from you.
