Compassion fatigue, quality of care and clinical governance

Abstract

Introduction: compassion fatigue, as an emotional cost resulting from prolonged exposure to the suffering of the people and families being cared for, is a factor with adverse repercussions on the quality and safety of nursing care. The aim is to reflect on the clinical governance strategies to be used to minimize the effect of compassion fatigue.
Method: this is a narrative critical analysis based on a review of the current scientific literature on compassion fatigue, focusing on studies that address the interaction with clinical management, in order to provide evidence from the literature and indications for practice in the context of health service management. To carry out the study, articles were selected that addressed the interdependence between compassion fatigue and clinical governance.
Results: compassion fatigue manifests itself through symptoms such as physical and emotional exhaustion, associated with feelings of professional frustration, resulting from nurses' continuous empathetic involvement with people and families in situations of suffering. Its presence negatively compromises the quality and safety of care, constituting a silent threat to the effectiveness of clinical governance.
Conclusion: nurse managers have a responsibility to develop systematic and strategic plans that foster the emotional well-being of their teams, thus contributing to the reduction of compassion fatigue and consequently to the continuous improvement of the quality of care provided.