Introduction
The critical care nurses make a great contribution to the CCU functioning as, indeed, without them, no proper care for critical patients would be possible. In such settings, the high level of clinical culture must necessarily be maintained, as nurses provide not only physical services to the patients but are the people patients rely on to comfort them. The culture of compassion established within CUU units is seen as “unique experience personalised for individuals in relation to their own needs”, a moral value essential in critical healthcare settings (Bramley & Matiti, 2014, para. 19) The given article examines the nature of compassion and aims to define its key features in nurse-patient interaction. The population whose empathy is studied in this article are critical care nurses working in a CCU. The patients’ interviews on the work of critical care nurses helped to crystallise the key features of empathy in healthcare settings, defining the essential traits a nurse must have to be a success in the profession.
Methods
The research is based on interviews conducted in hospital settings. 10 patients were identified to take part in the research. They were asked to assess nurses’ work in terms of compassion and care. The nurses were well aware of the interviews conducted and there was no breach of professional ethics. No comparison with previous studies were made, the outcome of the study is inferred solely from the interview results.
Results Discussion and Conclusion
Three themes emerged from the interview, concerning the essence of compassion, its impact, and its role in communication and nursing. Compassion is understood as “a caring attitude to people as people and not as things” which implies devoting nurses’ time and effort to the patient’s well-being (Bramley & Matiti, 2014, para. 30). The impact of compassion is seen in improving the patients’ outcomes; its role outlined as a means of communication inherent in nurses’ nature. The study concludes that the patients believe compassion to be an integral part of care aimed at lessening patients’ suffering through communication and care nurses engage in to the best of their ability.
Question Two
The aim of the study is to determine why compassion plays central role in nursing care and how its essence and impact is seen by the patients. The study was done by interviewing patients on the issue of compassion nurses exhibited in the hospital wards. It was found that compassion is understood as care and sympathy nurses engage in in their work. The study revealed that, in practical settings, the stress on compassionate care should be made. I believe it is important to make compassion an integral part of my work as it will allow me to take better care of the patients and will lead to better patient outcomes.
Question Three
I was very impressed with this study’s results as I have never thought that compassion plays such an important role in nursing care. The study revealed that compassion not only makes patients feel better but increases the number of positive patient outcomes. Though limited by 10 participants, the qualitative research methods used in the study are well-suited to the study design, allowing to group the participants’ opinions into groups and crystallize the essence of what they said. The interview method fully meets the needs of the study. However, I feel that the number of participants could be increased to make the results more representative and objective.
References
Bramley, L., & Matiti, M. (2014). How does it really feel to be in my shoes? Patients’ experiences of compassion within nursing care and their perceptions of developing compassionate nurses. Journal of clinical nursing, 23(19-20), 2790-2799.