Compassion Fatigue: The Emotional Cost of Being a Healthcare Provider (And What to Do About It!)

"To care for others we must first care for ourselves" is a phrase we know well, though we often ignore it as healthcare providers. However, what do we do when caring for others comes at the expense of ourselves? Compassion fatigue in healthcare workers and staff results in lower job satisfaction and even leaving the profession entirely due to chronic stress. Beyond patient care, it impacts how we relate to our colleagues, spilling over to how we treat our families. Compassion fatigue robs us of the joy we deserve and our reason for joining the profession in the first place — but it doesn't have to. This presentation uses research and personal experiences to highlight the impact compassion fatigue can have across all aspects of our lives, with the goal of improving community connections and personal coping skills to gain a confident and healthy relationship with our job stress.