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Round-the-clock coverage of shocking or grim events can sap your emotional reserves. Follow our tips to maintain your focus at work and your well-being
Sometimes it can seem like the world is dominated by bad news – from the climate crisis to COVID-19 and devastating conflicts, television coverage, newspapers and social media may seem to bring only grim updates.
Nursing Standard. 39, 1, 16-17. doi: 10.7748/ns.39.1.16.s10
Published: 03 January 2024
All this can affect nurses, explains Jayne Ellis, a nurse and chief executive officer at EF Training, which trains healthcare staff in building emotional resilience.
‘People who go into nursing are naturally empathetic and have to make that strong, therapeutic empathetic connection with people really quickly,’ Ms Ellis says. ‘Nurses get very good at it. And the problem is they can’t turn that off when they come home and watch the news.’
This means nurses naturally absorb the trauma they observe from the relentless barrage of distressing news we are exposed to, she says.
Witnessing the trauma of others can push nurses towards compassion fatigue, warns Jayne Ellis, a nurse and chief executive officer of EF Training.
Life events, which can include what is going on in the wider world, as well as what happens to your family and friends, can contribute to this. So be alert for the signs of compassion fatigue, like anxiety, poor sleep, physical effects such as back and shoulder pain, and irritability.
‘Look out for not wanting to talk about your day and about how you are feeling and becoming quite robotic at work and at home because you’re protecting yourself from any further distress,’ says Ms Ellis.
Empathetic distress
Negative news can feed into empathetic distress, which can contribute to compassion fatigue, says psychologist and well-being specialist Lee Chambers.
‘Empathetic distress is the impact of emotional and psychological strain caused by having empathy for the suffering of others and it can have a range of sources. While we can find ways to process this healthily, and it is a part of working in healthcare, it can lead to compassion fatigue if not noticed or managed.’
Here are six simple ways to help protect yourself and maintain your emotional well-being.
Sometimes the best option for nurses when they get home after a demanding, emotionally intense day, is avoiding the latest headlines about distressing situations around the world, says Ms Ellis.
‘By taking on vicarious trauma, which is trauma you witness or is described to you, you are absorbing all of that distress day by day and, subconsciously, your central nervous system takes you into a fight and flight response,’ she says.
‘Relentless bad news has an enormous additional emotional burden for somebody who is naturally empathetic. Somebody who may not be quite as empathetic can sort of look at it and brush it off. But if you have a natural empathy you will take it on and you will want to do something about it.’
Mental health charity Mind recommends setting limits for your daily media consumption.
For example, you can set certain amounts of time you will read or watch news or access social media, mute notifications from news websites and apps, seek out some positive stories as an alternative, and focus on facts rather than news commentary.
There may be horrible, distressing events going on around the world or in the UK, says Ms Ellis, but you need to be clear that you will be unable to do anything about many of them. ‘I encourage nurses to think about locus of control,’ she says. ‘Perhaps you could donate some money to a charity that is making a difference, but that doesn’t mean you have to absorb the situation 24/7.’
Mind suggests taking up volunteering opportunities, but also remaining aware that ‘it is not your responsibility alone to tackle big problems’.
Switching off in the evening with gentle television programmes or books can help sooth your mind if you are feeling frazzled by the demands of a day’s nursing.
Avoid dramatic programmes, even soaps like EastEnders and Coronation Street, that can continue to stimulate adrenaline, the ‘fight or flight’ hormone.
‘Something like a makeover show, where the ending is always going to be happy, is perfect,’ says Ms Ellis. ‘I always recommend Queer Eye as a feel-good programme. And I find it helpful to read something light like the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. They are gentle and calming.’
Nurses should find what helps them work through the difficulties that relentless bad news can cause, says Lee Chambers, a psychologist and well-being specialist.
‘This could be having an active support network and a space for expression, setting boundaries to ensure you have a reserve of emotional energy, understanding your stress responses and finding techniques to reduce this burden,’ he says.
‘Not all conversations will be constructive and sometimes you need to put your own well-being first’
Lee Chambers, psychologist and well-being specialist
‘This might include activities such as walking, journaling or mindfulness.’
If you feel anxious and stressed about climate change, you are not alone.
A Lancet study of 10,000 young adults (aged 16-25) across ten countries found 59% were very or extremely worried about climate change and 84% were at least moderately worried. More than 50% felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless and guilty.
The American Psychological Association (APA) cites research showing that gradual, long-term changes in climate, combined with worrying about the future, can lead to a number of different emotions, including fear, anger, feelings of powerlessness or exhaustion.
To tackle climate change-related mental trauma, the APA recommends:
Many of the big global issues and disputes can provoke strong opinions, which sometimes people are keen to discuss. ‘Nurses are often natural people-pleasers,’ says Ms Ellis. ‘So they get drawn into conversations that they don’t want to have. But you have to put some boundaries around yourself and that comes down to having the internal courage to have self-compassion.
‘That takes a while to work on because a lot of people who are very compassionate find it difficult to be self-compassionate and say “I need to stop this.”’
Mr Chambers says ‘respectful curiosity’ can allow discussions to take place and there will be common ground even between people with strongly opposing views. ‘But it is important to see that not all conversations will be constructive and sometimes you need to put your own well-being first,’ he says.
How to switch off and unwind after a shift rcni.com/podcast-unwind
