In the Compassion Fatigue Workbook, Francoise Mathieu states, “Compassion fatigue refers to the profound emotional and physical exhaustion that helping professionals and caregivers can develop over the course of their career as helpers. It is a gradual erosion of all the things that keep us connected to others in our caregiver role: our empathy, our hope, and of course our compassion—not only for others but also for ourselves.”
Featured Resources
Frank Gabrin, DO, was the first emergency physician lost to COVID-19.
One of his passions as a physician was physician wellness and he wrote multiple books about compassion fatigue. In this Q&A, he explains how an encounter with a violent patient led him down the road to compassion fatigue and explains his 7-step process back to his “pure and simple desire to care.”
ACEP Frontline Podcast: The Cost of Compassion? It’s Less Than You Think.
Host Ryan Stanton, MD, FACEP, talks with Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli about the benefits of compassion for both patients and providers. You might be surprised how much it can help YOU.
TEDx Talks
- Compassion Fatigue: What is it, and do you have it?
- How to Manage Compassion Fatigue in Caregiving
- The Edge of Compassion
- Drowning in Empathy: The Cost of Vicarious Trauma
Publications
- Compassion Satisfaction & Fatigue in Emergency Physicians
- Compassion Fatigue in EM: The Cost of Caring
- Ped EM docs at risk for developing compassion fatigue, burnout, low compassion satisfaction
- Prevalence, causes and consequences of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in emergency care: a mixed-methods study of UK NHS Consultants
Articles
- Compassion Fatigue: The Cost of Being a Caregiver
- Compassion Fatigue: Signs, Symptoms, Tools and Solutions
- Premeditated Compassion
- Managing Fatigue During Times of Crisis: Guidance for Healthcare Workers
- Tips for Disaster Responders: Understanding Compassion Fatigue
- A Human Connection is Sometimes the Best Support We Can Give
