Running head: WRITING IN THE NURSING PROFESSION

Writing in the Nursing Profession

Sarah Glickman
Northeastern University

WRITING IN THE NURSING PROFESSION

Since the nursing profession is highly challenging, it is common for nurses to feel
stressed, occasionally letting the negative experiences outweigh the positive. Compassion
fatigue is a condition, which results from depressing feelings, with symptoms such as loss of
energy, emotional breakdowns, increased accident proneness, and poor judgment. The
Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project explained this as an extreme state of tension and
preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create a
secondary traumatic stress for the helper, which can result in a decreased quality of patient care
(Compassion, 2015). I am fascinated by the equilibrium that nurses must find between their job
of perpetual patient care and their own mental health. As a student entering the nursing
profession, I am eager to learn methods to prevent compassion fatigue, ways to cope with a
stressful job, and how to remain optimistic in balancing professional and personal life. To that
end, it is vital to explore relevant literature, such as Deborah Boyles Countering Compassion
Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda, which provides straightforward and easily consumable
answers to some of these provocative questions. The source uses a variety of techniques to
clearly and successfully inform both the nursing and general population. But, in order to further
investigate this source, it is crucial to first establish an understanding of the surrounding field.
Nursing is both an exciting and rewarding career, as nurses provide high levels of direct
patient care. The profession is described as the protection, promotion, and optimization of
health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis
and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families,
communities, and populations (American). Nurses play such an integral role in a patients life;
I want to guide patients, and families, through the treatment process providing medical care,
information, and support. My passion stems from personal experience with a nurse who

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provided consistent support through an otherwise traumatic time. Due to minimal clinical
exposure, I do not yet have a desired nursing specialty, but I am excited to explore my options
through continued exploration.
Through the clinical experiences I have had so far, it became apparent how crucial
communication is to the nursing profession. Nurses are required to document all information
relating to the care provided to and progress of patients, so other healthcare professionals can
understand the present situation. Also, nurses often have to communicate verbally with patients,
families, and healthcare professionals. The most common use of this communication is within
the nurse-patient relationship. Nurses have to effectively and efficiently converse with their
patients, and families, in order to build a trusting, therapeutic relationship. As I am just
beginning my nursing career, I have room for growth within this communication method.
However, I am confident that with more time spent in the clinical setting, my skills in building
and maintaining nurse-patient relationships will mature.
The caring relationship nurses form with their patients is essential to supporting the
healing process, and is a cornerstone of the nursing profession. The nurse-patient relationship is
based on the therapeutic use of self, which is when a nurse uses his or her personality and
communication skills to help improve the health of patients, while at the same time, performing
the nursing process (Black, 2014). The nursing process is a series of structured steps that allow
nurses to provide quality patient care and adequately connect to patients, family members, and
other healthcare professionals. These relationships can make a big impact on patients, since
nurses care for people when they are most vulnerable. It is this very impact that inspired me to
become a nurse. However, this personal extension of self is where compassion fatigue might
arise, as part of a nurses daily routine is building caring and intensive relationships. With such a

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demanding job and so much required exertion of kindness, it is very possible for nurses to feel
overwhelmed, stressed, and overextended.
While researching compassion fatigue, a source that stood out was Countering
Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda, by Deborah A. Boyle, MSN, RN, AOCNS,
FAAN. Based on her listed credentials, Boyle is a registered nurse with a masters degree, who
furthered her education to become an Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Specialist, and has
been inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing; specifying her elaborate
qualifications was a method used to establish authority and legitimacy. At the end of the article,
there is a note for the reader to learn more about the author. Boyle has been awarded numerous
honors for her contributions in advocating for the special needs of cancer survivors and the
elderly with cancer, for increasing awareness of the psychosocial needs of patients and families
coping with cancer, and for championing the role of the advanced practice nurse (Boyle, 2011).
This article was published in The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN). OJIN, a
scholarly journal of the American Nursing Association, is a peer-reviewed, online publication
that addresses current topics affecting nursing practice, research, education, and the wider
healthcare sector (American). Boyles layout of the article on the OJIN website creates a
conducive environment for readers to better engage with the material. The article is presented in
one column, situated in the middle of the web page, with no ads surrounding the text. She
divided the work into multiple sections, each with a bold title to distinguish the change in topic.
Within each section, there are numerous short paragraphs, rather than one long paragraph. Some
of the central points are highlighted in a different color on the side of the article so the reader can
pull the important information out of the main text. All of these formatting decisions were made
in order to allow for a simpler read, maximizing the ease of understanding and information

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consumption. The venue is also user-friendly, allowing people of all backgrounds the
opportunity to not only read this article, but other articles published by the journal, furthering the
spread of knowledge.
Based on the abstract, this source seeks to inform readers about the topic of compassion
fatigue. It reads, In this article, the author begins by describing compassion fatigue and
distinguishing compassion fatigue from burnout. Next she discusses risk factors for, and the
assessment of compassion fatigue. The need to support nurses who witness tragedy and
workplace interventions to confront compassion fatigue are described (Boyle, 2011). The
language used is not persuasive or argumentative; instead, the author is factually describing the
topic. The instructional tone taken allows readers to feel as if they are being educated, rather
than convinced, therefore increasing the articles effectiveness to extend knowledge. While the
abstract gives readers a glimpse into what will be discussed, Boyle also listed select key terms,
including compassion fatigue, nurse stress, work setting improvements, [and] communication
skills (Boyle, 2011). By outlining some keywords in the subject field, Boyle gives the reader an
opportunity to identify and expect important verbiage, allowing for a better grasp of the
following content.
Although the article seems to be targeted more towards educating nurses about
compassion fatigue, the authors explanatory writing style allows the work to be understandable
to the general public. Boyle defines most of the terminology used as they come up, assuming all
readers have limited knowledge on the subject. Thus, the audience can be comprised of anyone
interested in learning more about compassion fatigue, expanding the possible base of readers.
Also, in order to account for as many different reading styles as possible, Boyle includes three
tables referenced throughout the article, which seek to organize the information in a more visual

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way. Table 1 outlines descriptors of compassion fatigue, Table 2 lists manifestations of

compassion fatigue, and Table 3 illustrates characteristics differentiating burnout from
compassion fatigue (Boyle, 2011). All three tables provide an alternative way to look at the
material, as a way to include readers who are primarily visual learners.
Throughout the article, Boyle cites over sixty different sources, illustrated by the
provided list of references. Each source reinforces the information being discussed, defines
terminology, or expresses research findings. Many of the sources are from an array of
educational, and often peer-reviewed, journals. Some examples of the journals cited are:
Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Journal of the
American Medical Association, and Journal of Advanced Nursing. The inclusion of these
references serves to increase the legitimacy of Boyles work. The notion that they are published
in reputable, peer-reviewed journals demonstrates to the reader that the information being
presented is accurate.
The nurse-patient relationship is fundamental to the nursing profession. Nurses need to
be constantly compassionate towards patients, but this can create mental health issues for the
caregiver, such as compassion fatigue. With so much required outward kindness in a sometimes
depressing environment, nurses can easily feel overwhelmed. Boyles descriptive article
effectively conveys the relevant information, challenges, and strategies associated with
compassion fatigue. Finding the balance between emotional care and ones own health is one of
the most difficult tasks a nurse may encounter. This article helps people of all backgrounds
become more informed on the matter. Not excluding any reader group allows both nurses to
have an easier time navigating the balance, and patients and families to have a greater
understanding of the strain put on their nurses. Boyle is presenting a successful source of

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information, which assists in informing and potentially alleviating one of nursings greatest and
most important challenges.

*Note: I think there is a possibility that I will use this piece in my professional portfolio.
Although I have not exactly decided on the audience I will direct my portfolio towards, this piece
discusses a prominent and relevant topic in nursing. Regardless of the audience, this information
could be useful.

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References
American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2016, from
http://www.nursingworld.org
Black, B. (2014). Professional nursing: Concepts & challenges (7th ed.). Saunders/Elsevier.
Boyle, D., (Jan 31, 2011) "Countering Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda" OJIN:
The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 16, No. 1, Manuscript 2.
http://www.nursingworld.org/mainmenucategories/anamarketplace/anaperiodicals/ojin/ta
bleofcontents/vol-16-2011/no1-jan-2011/countering-compassionfatigue.html#Interventions
Compassion fatigue awareness project...where healing begins. (2015) Retrieved January 25,
2016, from http://www.compassionfatigue.org/