Tips for Healthcare Professionals: Coping with Stress and Compassion Fatigue

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based on material published by SAMHSA and is available as an open-access article. As a healthcare professional, you may face stress on the job under usual conditions due to long shifts, competing responsibilities, and witnessing or hearing about difficult patient experiences. As a responder on the front lines of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, you are likely working longer hours, seeing loved ones less, and working in a more stressful environment. At the same time, you may be coping with the mental health effects that all types of disasters, including public health emergencies, often have. As such, you may be noticing signs of stress and distress in yourself and your coworkers. This tip sheet explores stress and compassion fatigue, as well as signs of distress after a disaster. It identifies ways to cope and enhance resilience, along with resources for more information and support. This course on strategies for coping with stress for healthcare professionals is designed for clinical social workers, psychologists, professional counselors, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their expertise with strategies for coping with stress for healthcare professionals. The course material includes a literature review of interventions. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A significant benefit of reading peer reviewed research-based articles for continuing education is that they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: SAMHSA Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding strategies for coping with stress for healthcare professionals. Specifically, a professional will: Identify characteristics of compassion fatigue. Describe strategies for self care and stress management. Recognize when to seek professional support. Citation: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Tips for Healthcare Professionals: Coping with Stress and Compassion Fatigue. Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://store.samhsa.gov.