Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the topics of burnout and compassion fatigue have been in the spotlight. And one emergency nurse has welcomed the attention these issues have received, adding that there needs to be even more focus on educating nurses on prevention strategies.

Ben Thomas*, who works in a busy emergency room in a Melbourne hospital, told HealthTimes that back when he trained as a nurse many years ago, there was little focus on the idea of self-care and mental wellness in the workplace.

“You were then put out in the real world, dealing with everything you deal with as a nurse, and the reality of the job could hit you like a tonne of bricks one day.”

“As nurses, we are deeply compassionate. It’s not only a part of our job and the expectation of what we do – but the job generally attracts people who are wired like that in the first place”

“Every day, we are holding people's hands through their difficulties, and comforting them, and comforting their loved ones as well.”

Mr Thomas cited a quote he once read by Rachel Naomi Remen.

“The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet. This sort of denial is no small matter.”

“The way we deal with loss shapes our capacity to be present to life more than anything else. The way we protect ourselves from loss may be the way in which we distance ourselves from life and help.”

“We burn out not because we don’t care but because we don’t grieve. We burn out because we’ve allowed our hearts to become so filled with loss that we have no room left to care.”

“That for me, is compassion fatigue in a nutshell", Mr Thomas said.

"And it skyrocketed during COVID-19, that’s for sure.”

Mr Thomas said that for many months, he felt like he was “out of battery” but that his peers were what kept him going.

“There was that sense of not wanting to give up or stop or break down because there were others that were still going, and there was a community that still needed you, and you didn’t want to let them down.”

“So, I guess there’s a bit of stoicism. I was also worried that if I stopped to really think about what we’d all been dealing with, then it would be like pulling a thread loose and everything comes undone.”

Mr Thomas said that recently, he has taken some leave and had a break.

“For me, it’s what I needed. I’ve gone back to work, and I feel a lot better – but for some people, taking a holiday isn’t enough.”

Indeed, a new study has shown that more than one third of nurses plan to leave their jobs at the end of this year because of their high-stress work environments, pay and benefits.

As traumatic as the experience of the pandemic has been, Mr Thomas said it has brought much needed attention to the effects of compassion fatigue.

“We’re seeing more programs and training modules available to help nurses and other health professionals understand this issue, and learn the strategies that can help manage or prevent it from happening.”

Mr Thomas said that he hoped that this would also feature more prominently in the curriculum for nursing students.

“I think the earlier we can start this, the better.”

“To have that awareness from the get go, before you go out and practice, is very important.”

“I’ve seen early career nurses burn out very quickly. And some just decide that nursing isn’t for them, period. And that’s sad to see.”

“We should do everything that we possibly can to make sure that our graduates have those tools to use when they enter the workplace – because it can be a shock to the system.”

Mr Thomas said that more research was needed as well to validate different interventions and training strategies.

“We are starting to see more studies, which is great, but a lot more needs to be done in this area - to figure out what's the best approach.” 

*Name changed to protect the privacy of the nurse