As health care workers, we do what we do out of a deep desire to help — to make the world a better place and to contribute to the greater good of our community.
This is so important to remember. The very things that brought to work in health care are the same things that can contribute to compassion fatigue.
But when we place the challenges we face in the perspective of our desire to help, we appreciate the value of the choices we’ve made.
Those choices make us kinder, wiser and more attuned to the needs of others, and we become grateful for our growth and learning. This is especially true when we bond with our patients within a brief space, survey their wants, needs and desires and know them for more than just their illness.
And now… from The Ohio State University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health’s Stress Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Program, here is your moment of zen:
