• Coping with Compassion Fatigue: Tips to Rescue Yourself and Find Joy in Nursing Again

    By Elizabeth Knight, PhD, DNP, FNP-C You’re dreading your next shift, and as you stare at the ceiling waiting for sleep, you think about calling out sick again. Work is not going well– everything and everyone is getting on your nerves. You get there late and don’t have time to get organized. You keep losing track of what you’re doing. You snapped at a patient the other day when he asked you a simple question. What’s going on? Where is the dedicated, competent, compassionate nurse you know you are? You might be experiencing a condition known as compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is a state of emotional, physical, and spiritual distress triggered…