Hello!
How are you? What does it feel like to work in your space at the moment?
That was the question I posed to many incredible teams working in Aged Care during a recent project that ran from February 6th to 10th. Over five days, I had the privilege of visiting nine Aged Care facilities and engaging in honest, eye-opening conversations with their staff.
I was contracted by the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) to coach Aged Care teams and raise awareness about Compassion Fatigue and its impact on their work and well-being.
What the Week Looked Like:
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Visited and facilitated sessions in 9 Aged Care facilities
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Travelled 1,471 km across the Riverina region
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Worked with 56 dedicated team members eager to learn more about Compassion Fatigue and how to move toward Compassion Satisfaction
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Collected 56 pre-project surveys to measure existing levels of Compassion Fatigue and Satisfaction
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Supported 56 individuals who committed to exploring self-care practices to restore their energy and connection to their work
It was a huge week of learning, not just for the teams, but also for me. Their honesty about fatigue, stress, and the toll their work takes on their well-being was both humbling and inspiring.
What Happened Next:
In the two weeks that followed, we met again this time online for follow-up group sessions. These check-ins gave team members a chance to reflect on their self-care experiments, share what worked (and what didn’t), and gather new ideas from their peers. These sessions created rare and valuable space for self-reflection something these hardworking professionals often don’t have time for.
What’s Ahead:
Post-intervention, participants were invited to complete a post-project survey to measure changes in Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction. The data collected will help assess the impact of this coaching and awareness initiative and shape future interventions.
Ultimately, the goal is to help Aged Care teams not just survive their work but thrive in it with a deeper sense of purpose, energy, and Compassion Satisfaction.
To read more about the impact of Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction on people and teams, look at these references:-
Abernathy, S., & Martin, R. (2019). Reducing compassion fatigue with self-care and mindfulness. Nursing2020 Critical Care, 14(5), 38-44. Reducing compassion fatigue with self-care and mindfulness : Nursing2020 Critical Care (lww.com)
Barnett, M. D., & Ruiz, I. A. (2018). Psychological distress and compassion fatigue among hospice nurses: the mediating role of self-esteem and negative affect. Journal of palliative medicine, 21(10), 1504-1506. Accessed at https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jpm.2017.0662
Copeland, D. (2021). Brief workplace interventions addressing burnout, compassion fatigue, and teamwork: A pilot study. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 43(2), 130-137. Accessed at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0193945920938048?journalCode=wjna
Stamm, B.H. (2010). The Concise ProQOL Manual, 2nd Ed. Pocatello. Accessed at ProQOL Manual | ProQOL
If you want to learn more about this project, get in touch.
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