Krystal Yost
English 132
Literature Review
A Selective Literature Review
It takes a great deal of schooling in order to become a Registered Nurse. Long hours in the classroom, practical’s, exams, and so much more goes into earning a degree in the medical field. Working long hours in the hospital or at the patient’s home can cause a great deal of problems. One big problem would be considered a nurse burnout. This syndrome is known because it shows a pattern of emotional and subsequent emotional exhaustion. A person gets too involved emotionally, and may overextend him or herself, and feels overwhelmed by the emotional demands imposed by other people. (Christina Maslach) It is a condition that some registered nurses experience that shows itself as being fatigued all of the time, readily irritable, insomnia and poor performance. Physical manifestations can be chronic headaches, back pain, weight gain, and Gastrointestinal problems. (Nursing Profession Education)
The range of health care professionals is so wide. It can range from becoming a medical assistant, registered nurse or a doctor to one of those three who specializes in something specific such as oncology. This is the study of cancer and tumors with patients.
Oncologist are professionals who are there to track a person’s health, over view radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and possibly even get connected with patients on a personal level. Along with these nurses experiences the burnout syndrome they acquire compassion fatigue through repeated exposure to patients who are suffering from the effects of trauma. These could be the side effects from treatment and their end stages of life due to cancer. (Julie Berger) Several years ago Joinson was the first one to discover “compassion fatigue. There was a study done to nursed who worked in an emergency department. “The researcher identified behaviors that were characteristic of compassion fatigue including chronic fatigue, irritability, dread going to work, aggravation of physical ailments, and a lack of joy in life.” (Julie Berger)
Besides just the work fork burnout is very evident when it comes to age. Just getting out of school would put someone at more of a risk for burnout. “There is a clear relationship between age and burnout. Burnout is greatest when people workers are young and is lower for older workers.” (Christina Maslach) The view that nurses will then have on patients is negative. The shift is from positive to negative. Professionals will be caring and supportive towards the patient but once the burnout syndrome has taken place or compassion fatigue has set in it will go to negative and maybe even uncaring. Several oncology nurses expressed their concern regarding the workload. (Hiroko Komatsu)
There is a significant level of emotional stress. If the nature of contact with people is upsetting, depressing, or difficult, then the provider may develop more negative perceptions of them. For many individuals contact with someone who is dying, particularly a child, is the most difficult of all. The most threatening experience for a medical student is having to inform a patient or the family of the impending death. (Christina Maslach) This would be one of the main causes of burnout.
The burnout syndrome is not only obviously with the care giver but also with the patient. If a sick patient comes in there cannot be any discrimination. If that person needs health care then it’s not a yes or no answer, they must have it. In the medical field you cannot choose who you work with. That is another factor of the burnout syndrome. Not everyone is going to be nice and friendly and you can’t pick who you want to work with.
When a nurse experiences the burnout syndrome several things could be done in order to deal with it. Being able to set realistic goals should be a main priority. “In practical terms, this means that you have to work out a list of specific accomplishments that you can shoot for on a given day, a given month-even for the year.” (Christina Maslach) Another option is to take breaks or rest periods and to make sure that you are not only caring for the patient but yourself as well. “Techniques that promote physical and psychological well-being can do much to offset the negative costs of burnout.” (Christina Maslach)
Yagasaki, Kaori, and Hiroko Komatsu. "Preconditions for successful guideline implementation: perceptions of oncology nurses." BMC Nursing. (2011): n. page. Print. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=AONE&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T002&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&contentSet=GALE|A275501796&&docId=GALE|A275501796&docType=GALE&role.
Maslach, Christina. Burnout-The Cost of Caring. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.., 1-192.
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