#EmpowerNursesChallenge to combat compassion fatigue, earn rewards!

#EmpowerNursesChallenge to combat compassion fatigue, earn rewards!

Have you ever had a nurse make a significant impact in your life? Was a nurse “that person” who helped light up a better path at a moment of darkness? Can you recall a time when a nurse understood your needs even when you didn’t? We can.

And, did you know that the pain of an infertility diagnosis is on par with the pain of being diagnosed with cancer, heart disease and other serious maladies? And that nurses are typically the first and most important resource attending to the emotional needs of these patients? We do.

And we’re determined to say thank you. Read about our #EmpowerNursesChallenge.

Do you know a nurse in your life that gives her heart to her patients? Empower nurses to combat compassion fatigue. Earn rewards for her, and you too!

Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system, playing a crucial role in patient care, advocacy, and emotional support. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, nursing is the nation's largest healthcare profession, with nearly 4.7 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide. Of all licensed registered nurses, 89% are employed in nursing. Nurses are the primary providers of hospital patient care and deliver most of the nation’s long-term medical care. Moreover, nurses are the single most trusted professional among a wide array, with 78% of us saying that they have high or very high levels of honesty and ethical standards. Nurses have held this distinction for over 20 years.

The importance of nurses extends beyond clinical skills. Nurses give comfort and compassion to patients and families during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. This unwavering dedication often comes at a cost. Compassion fatigue, the emotional and physical exhaustion resulting from continuous empathy and caring for others, is taking a significant toll on nurses. It not only affects nurse well-being but also impacts the care delivered by nurses, highlighting the need for resources to build compassion fatigue resilience.

What is Compassion Fatigue

According to The National Institutes of Health, compassion fatigue is defined as stress resulting from exposure to a traumatized individual. Professionals regularly exposed to the traumatic experiences of the people they service, such as healthcare, emergency and community service workers, are particularly susceptible to developing Compassion Fatigue. This can adversely impact the everyday lives of these individuals, as well as patient care and relationships with colleagues. It can lead to more serious mental health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.

At ConceiveAbilities, in our efforts to support family-building through surrogacy and egg donation, we see and are particularly awed by the many fertility clinic nurses working with these families. At the same time, we know that the ongoing exposure to the lasting trauma of infertility creates substantial and real risks of compassion fatigue for these heroic nurses. Infertility is, indeed, a serious and traumatic condition.

Nurses at our fertility clinic partners, as well as many of our surrogates who are also nurses, have experienced compassion fatigue but, at ConceiveAbilities, we believe that it does not have to be this way. Through our #EmpowerNursesChallenge, we are showing our appreciation to nurses by raising awareness about this problem and efforts to be resilient to it. As one gesture in a complex puzzle, we are thrilled to announce that we are donating 100 self-care baskets, each worth at least $100, to the nurses you know and love.

#EmpowerNursesChallenge to Combat Compassion Fatigue

Raise up the nurses in your life to combat compassion fatigue by sharing this link to nurses within your community. The nurses you share this link with, and you too, will receive $5. This link will encourage nurses to create and share a video sharing how they combat compassion fatigue to be entered to receive one of one hundred self care baskets ($100 value.)

Take one concrete action to chip away at this hard problem and show your gratitude. It’s that simple.

Here’s How You Can Help A Nurse in Your Life in Five Easy Steps:

The #EmpowerNursesChallenge is such a simple way to recognize the nurses that you know and love.

1. Enter your email to get your personalized share link
2. Share your link with nurses through email, social media, or however you would like
3. Once they click through your link and enter their email address to learn more, you will both earn a $5 reward
4. Nurses create and share their empowering video on social media about how to find resilience in the midst of compassion fatigue (see more below)
5. The first 100 nurses to share their videos through this program will receive a self care basket, each worth at least $100!

Think how special the nurses in your community will feel!

Share Your Empowering Video to be Be Entered To Win a $100 Self-Care Basket:

1. Create a video about how you, as a nurse, show resilience through compassion fatigue
2. Post the video to your favorite social media platform and tag @ConceiveAbilities
3. Email empowernurses@conceiveabilities.com with: the original video, the link to your social post, name, email address, phone number, and nursing license number, license type, & state, photo of badge
4. The first 100 nurses will each receive a self-care basket worth at least $100 to show our appreciation

The #EmpowerNursesChallenge runs until September 30, 2024, or until the first 100 baskets are distributed, whichever comes first. Be empowered and show your gratitude by sharing this link with the nurses in your life. Today. And, thank you for helping us send a powerful message of gratitude.

Resources to Combat Compassion Fatigue and Build Compassion Resilience

Nurses are particularly vulnerable to compassion fatigue due to their everyday exposure to individuals that are experiencing trauma, including those that are suffering from infertility. Nurses also have the best insights about how to be resilient in the face of compassion fatigue. Through these videos, we want to assist nurses in sharing their best resiliency tips and strategies with one another. Here are some thought starters, based on five strategies to help nurses combat compassion fatigue:

1. Implement Regular Self-Care

• Physical Health: Prioritize exercise, nutritious meals, and adequate sleep. Simple practices like staying hydrated and taking short breaks during shifts can make a big difference. Check out The Gym Nurse for workout split ideas and more health tips!
• Mental and Emotional Health: Engage in mindfulness, meditation, or breathing exercises. Take time for activities that bring joy and relaxation outside of work. Check out these apps for resilience, mindfulness, and mental health.

2. Create a Support System

• Counseling: Regular sessions with a mental health professional can help nurses process their experiences and develop healthy coping mechanisms. Here is Forbes list of Best Online Therapy Service of 2024.
• Foster Your relationships: Make time for lunch with a friend, date night with your significant other, and for your hobbies.
• Find your person who can be your sounding board to help you debrief from a hard day.

3. Set and Maintain Boundaries

• Work-Life Separation: Develop clear boundaries between work and personal life to avoid carrying work-related stress home.
• Time Management: Learn to prioritize tasks and delegate when possible. Taking regular, scheduled breaks during shifts can also help manage stress. The American Nurses Association offers these Time Management Tips for Nurses.

4. Foster Peer Support and Connection

• Support Groups: Join or form support groups with fellow nurses to share experiences and offer mutual support.
• Team Communication: Regular debriefings and open communication within the team can provide a sense of solidarity and shared understanding.

5. Engage in Professional Development

• Continual Learning: Attend workshops, training sessions, and conferences focused on managing compassion fatigue and enhancing self-care techniques.
• Reflective Practice: Engage in reflective practices, such as journaling or discussing challenging cases with peers, to gain perspective and learn from experiences.

Integrating these strategies can help nurses manage compassion fatigue more effectively, ensuring they maintain their well-being while providing high-quality care. What are your best tips? Calling all empowering videos from nurses!

More Articles and Resources to Combat Compassion Fatigue and Build Compassion Resilience

How Nurses Can Combat Compassion Fatigue
What Are the Stages of Compassion Fatigue
Compassion Fatigue: Symptoms to Look For
Causes of Compassion Fatigue
Moving from Compassion Fatigue to Compassion Resilience
Compassion Fatigue Test

Calling Giving Women

ConceiveAbilities Surrogacy Agency is committed to empowering women to find their purpose and create meaningful change in their communities and beyond. Surrogacy is a powerful means to do so.

Are you a woman who enjoyed a healthy and successful pregnancy? Do you have friends or family who have suffered from infertility or need assistance from someone else to build their family? Have you ever considered the role you could play in helping someone else build their family - as a surrogate? Learn more about the process of helping someone else's dream of building a family come true. We would love to talk with you.

Be a surrogate