Introduction
The position and role of a nurse among other medical workers are becoming increasingly important nowadays. Nursing is an independent science and an independent profession. Nonetheless, all medical specialists must, without exception, have the knowledge and skills to care for patients. In addition to professional skills, a real nurse must be kind, empathetic, and compassionate (Adams, 2016). Compassion has been shown to contribute to patients’ well-being. The field of study and research known as compassionomics examines the results of providing compassionate healthcare. Hence, this paper aims to explore the application of this area in my practice.
Importance of Compassion in Patient Care
Intellectual complexity, monotony, risk and responsibility, moral dilemmas, and interpersonal conflicts are characteristics of a nurse’s work. Patients frequently become agitated, intolerant, and erratic when suffering from illness or uncomfortable sensations and pains. Conversely, you must soothe the patient and even make some concessions to him, while also insisting that all necessary steps be taken.
Patients are more likely to trust a health professional who exudes harmony, composure, and confidence but never arrogance. Neuroscience research has revealed that neural networks in the human brain are closely related to the capacity to share other people’s experiences, including feelings and sensations (Adams, 2016). Therefore, when an individual receives compassionate treatment, they feel better and contribute to the collective well-being (Adams, 2016). It means that medical staff, other patients, and their families will be satisfied with their interactions with the hospital.
Personal Experience
In my practice, there was a man who was admitted to the hospital with a heart attack. Upon his surgery, he refused to talk to me when asked about his state. It turned out that the man was abandoned by his family and did not want to open up due to his unwillingness to experience negative emotions. However, I decided to show him empathy and brought him a homemade pie. Surprisingly, he cried, shared the difficulties he struggled with, and wanted a shoulder to cry on. Two weeks later, he was discharged and occasionally came by to talk to me.
If the person is not treated with compassion, there may be a risk of depersonalization. It is a disorder of self-consciousness characterized by a constant or periodic feeling of change and alienation, as well as the splitting of one’s own personality, body, and mental processes. The main symptoms are the feeling of observing oneself from the outside, the loss of familiar experiences, the emergence of new, unfamiliar feelings, and changes in ways of thinking and perception.
I once had a situation where I was placed in a hospital where nurses were not sensitive to the patient’s emotional well-being. Upon visiting each of them, I realized that my emotion-containment skill was not enough to encompass the number of people who were treated with little empathy. This experience made me feel useless, as if there was no chance of helping people open up. It was some burnout when I realized that some people need more time to feel fully secure with a new person.
Conclusion
In summation, compassion is one of the key elements leading to better health outcomes for hospital patients. The emotional aspect of nurses’ care needs to be taken into consideration when assigning a treatment. The ethical basis of a nurse’s professional activity is humanity and mercy. Along with the observance of moral norms and high professionalism, a medical worker must have special personal qualities: compassion, humanity, patience, restraint, conscientiousness, and honesty. Although compassion is innate in all human beings, those who work with patients and their families can develop their capacity to show compassion in all situations where it is needed.
Reference
Adams, L. (2016). The conundrum of caring in nursing. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 9(1), 1-9.