W-1 Experience
Reflect on a caring and compassionate experience with a patient or family encountered in your practice. How was your compassion demonstrated?
How does your thinking about compassion expand to include self and colleagues?
Sample Paper
W-1 Experience
Providing nursing care involves participating in compassionate moments involving patients and their families. For example, last year, I had a patient, a 94-year-old man. He had only one daughter. He had previously been vibrant, despite his age. However, he was diagnosed with COVID-19. During his stay at the hospital, his health had deteriorated gradually. When it became clear that he was not getting better, I contacted the daughter to enquire about end-of-life care preferences. The news came as a shock to her. She and her father had never discussed his death before. She said that even when he was admitted to the hospital, she thought he would be there for a few days then leave.
Upon recognizing the delicate nature of the issue, I had to be compassionate towards the daughter. For example, I listened to her speak about her father had always been energetic and joyful. She narrated that he had been playing soccer in the family backyard with his youngest grandchild even during the past summer. I also demonstrated compassion by guiding her through the initial shock. I explained to her gently the need to determine the best way for her father to die. I highlighted some options, including home-based care, frequent and extended visits, prayers, and other relevant religious and cultural practices. Finally, I expressed my compassion by assisting her and her children bid farewell to their patron. They requested that I be with them, and I obliged.
Just as nurses are compassionate towards their patients, so should they be to themselves and their colleagues. Self-compassion entails respecting the physical and psychological toll that the profession brings and engaging in adequate stress-relieving activities (Hofmeyer et al., 2020). It also means not letting work ruin social connections and relationships with friends and family. Finally, being compassionate to colleagues entails respecting their decisions even when one disagrees. One should also treat them with dignity and respect, regardless of their position or socio-cultural identity (Hossny & Sabra, 2021). Consequently, a compassionate work environment translates to the empathetic regard and treatment of patients and their families when undergoing difficult moments.
References
Hofmeyer, A., Taylor, R., & Kennedy, K. (2020). Knowledge for nurses to better care for themselves so they can better care for others during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Nurse Education Today, 94, 104503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104503
Hossny, E. K., & Sabra, H. E. (2021). Effect of nurses’ perception to workplace civility climate on nurse-physician collaboration. Nursing Open, 8(2), 620–627. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.666
