Compassion In Practice Research Articles

Compassion and Health Care: A Discussion With the Dalai Lama.

The calling to be a physician has historically been driven by compassion-that is, the desire to relieve the suffering of others. However, the current health care delivery system in the United States has increasingly limited the ability of physicians to express compassion as they are afforded little time for meaningful interaction with their patients. One of the authors (R.S.) draws on his current focus on developing personalized, proactive, and patient-driven models of care to argue that patient engagement plays a critical role in achieving favorable outcomes. Believing that compassion is key for establishing the physician-patient relationship needed to foster patient engagement, R.S. sought the advice of one of the world's most recognized thought leaders on this topic, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. This Invited Commentary describes the meeting between the two authors, the Dalai Lama's thoughts about compassion, and his challenge to bring attention to the importance of compassion in medical education, practice, and research.

Stakeholder perspectives of compassion in nursing: The development of the compassion strengths model.

To explore stakeholder perspectives of compassion in nursing. Studies show that nurses' compassion can be characterized by 11 characteristics. A growing body of research illustrates how courses aimed at teaching nursing students about compassion can be effective. Including the views of key stakeholders in the design of these programmes is recommended, yet the number of studies that have explored this are limited. This study used a qualitative exploratory design, applying a directed content and thematic analysis to the data. Key stakeholders (N=34), including nurse educators, nursing students, registered nurses and service user/patients, were recruited between September 2016 - July 2017. Focus groups and semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted. Data were transcribed verbatim. Directed content analysis and thematic analysis were applied to transcripts to address two separate research questions. In relation to question 1, 'What are the characteristics of a compassionate nurse'? eight themes: (a) character; (b) self-care; (c) connection; (d) empathy; (e) interpersonal skills; (f) communication; (g) competence; and (h) engagement, emerged from the content analysis. For question 2, 'How can compassion be taught to nursing students'? there were five separate themes that emerged from the thematic analysis: (a) beliefs about teaching compassion; (b) motivation; (c) the 5W's needed to teach compassion to nursing students; (d) barriers to compassion in practice; and (e) compassion requires strength CONCLUSION: The findings of this research support previous research into compassion in nursing. The Compassion Strengths model may serve as a framework for nursing students and nurses' compassionate practice. This may also assist nurses internationally to develop further research in this vital area.

Putting Oneself in the Body of Others: A Pilot Study on the Efficacy of an Embodied Virtual Reality System to Generate Self-Compassion.

Compassion-based interventions (CBIs) have been shown to be effective for increasing empathy and compassion, and reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. CBIs are based on constructive meditations where imagery abilities are essential. One of the major difficulties that participants report during the training is the difficulty related to imagery abilities. Virtual reality (VR) can be a useful tool to overcome this limitation because it can facilitate the construction and sustainment of mental images. The machine to be another (TMTBA) uses multi-sensory stimulation to induce a body swap illusion. This system allows participants to see themselves from a third perspective and have the illusion of touching themselves from outside. The main objective of the present study was to analyze the efficacy of a self-compassion meditation procedure based on the TMTBA system versus the usual meditation procedure (CAU) in increasing positive affect states, mindful self-care, and adherence to the practice, and explore the influence of imagery abilities as moderators of the effects of the condition on adherence. A sample of 16 participants were randomly assigned to two conditions: TMTBA-VR and CAU. All participants had to listen to an audio meditation about self-compassion and answer questionnaires before and after the training. The TMTBA-VR condition also had a body swap experience at the end of the meditation while listening to self-compassionate messages. Afterward, they were invited to practice this meditation for 2 weeks and then measured again. After the compassion practice, both conditions significantly increased positive qualities toward self/others, decreased negative qualities toward self, and increased awareness and attention to mental events and bodily sensations, with no differences between the conditions. After 2 weeks, both conditions showed a similar frequency of meditation practice and increases in specific types of self-care behaviors, with the frequency of clinical self-care behaviors being significantly higher in TMTBA. Finally, lower imagery ability in the visual and cutaneous modality were moderators of the efficacy of the TMTBA (vs. CAU) condition in increasing adherence to the practice. Embodied VR could be an interesting tool to facilitate and increase the efficacy of CBIs by facilitating the construction of positive and powerful mental images.

Contemplative Teaching and Learning: Opportunities for Asian Studies

Keynote Address, 2018 ASIANetwork Conference Contemplative education is a contemporary movement in higher education that builds upon the epistemological work of cognitive scientists in conversation with contemplative traditions of Asia, integrating critical subjectivity into the classroom. This article traces the development of this movement, identifying key innovators who are from the field of Asian Studies, and outlining the theoretical basis of first-person inquiry in learning. Sample findings of meditation science support the impact of these innovations, showing why contemplative pedagogy is beneficial for students. In addition, the author surveys pedagogies for introducing mindfulness, contemplation, and compassion practices into the curriculum in rudimentary and more complex ways, giving examples of best practices for the undergraduate professor. A bibliography of additional readings and sources is included, for further information.

Progress on the introduction of supervisory ward manager roles since the Francis report recommendations

Recommendation 195 of the Francis report suggested that the introduction of supervisory ward managers into clinical practice could improve the quality of patient care in England. The Department of Health and NHS Commissioning Board's vision and strategy Compassion in Practice in 2012 restated the recommendation in action area four, with trusts required to publish progress. With the aim of identifying whether the lessons of the Francis report had been learned, a review of the published literature since 2012 retrieved only five articles on the subject, with many anecdotal accounts of its implementation in local trusts. The three subsequent update reports of Compassion in Practice stopped backing recommendation 195 and promoted black and ethnic minority leadership, a laudable initiative, but not a recommendation of the Francis report. The authors suggest recommendation 195 and Compassion in Practice's original action area four should be promoted again to ensure public safety and address the notion that lessons learned are less likely to be repeated.

Happiness, love, and compassion as antidotes for anxiety

ABSTRACT This study compared the relative effectiveness of happiness, love, and compassion as antidotes for anxiety. Participants were 208 undergraduates averaging 18.9 years of age, 58% female and 42% male. They self-reported emotions at baseline, after an anxiety induction, and after a happiness, love, or compassion induction; emotions were induced by recalling autobiographical memories. All three positive emotions significantly reduced anxiety, but happiness and love yielded significantly greater reductions than compassion. As a secondary dependent variable, anger showed a similar pattern of results, being significantly reduced by happiness and love but not by compassion. Thus, the relative effectiveness of these positive emotions in relieving both anxiety and anger was not a function of their superordinate emotion category (happiness versus love), but rather was a function of the specific emotion. The findings suggest that we need to better attend to differences between love and compassion in theory, research and practice.

Compassion in Medical Practice

Compassion and kindness can be cultivated and enhanced. Over the years in medical practice I have witnessed many healthcare workers, after having worked with kind and caring practitioners, become progressively more humane. Those of us who are teachers need to be mindful of that. In educating new physicians, compassion should play a central role and we as practicing doctors are well placed to model a caring and empathetic approach to our patients. There is also a fundamental need to look after ourselves and maintain a healthy balance between professional and private life, in order to become effective healers. Kindness and compassion are strengths, not weaknesses. When we place kindness and compassion at the core of our work, we can find and enrich meaning and joy in caring for patients. Then both we and our patients are empowered.

The Resonant Body

The body can be understood to be an open space of infinite possibilities, a locus of unlimited imagination. The “felt-experience” of the body as understood by somatic wisdom traditions as well as science-based knowledge, is revealed in this paper to be resonant with the world in complex and healing ways. Such a view is compatible with spiritual understandings and points to the need for development of a more just and compassionate practice of social work.

Infusing, sustaining, and replenishing compassion in health care organizations through compassion practices.

Human suffering is prevalent and costly in health care organizations. Recent research links the use of compassion practices with improved patient experience and employee well-being, but little is known about how these practices create and sustain compassion to address workplace suffering and enhance care quality. This study examines the dynamics of compassion practices, specifically how compassion practices create and sustain compassion in caregiving work. We conducted a qualitative field study at two acute care hospitals utilizing three forms of data collection: semistructured interviews, nonparticipant observation, and archival data. Data were analyzed utilizing thematic coding. Both organizations attempted to foster workplace compassion through their hiring, socialization, employee support, and rewards practices. Organizations enable compassion through common organizational practices that perform three functions: (a) infusing the organization with new members and resources to enact compassion, (b) sustaining compassion by reinforcing its appropriateness in the workplace, and (c) replenishing compassion resources by improving and restoring employee well-being and ability to provide high-quality compassionate care. This study provides managers with a detailed guide for how health care organizations use compassion practices as a managerial tool to address two key challenges: (a) high rates of employee ill-being due to the demanding nature of the work and (b) providing high-quality compassionate care.

Does nurse education promote caring and compassionate practice? A discussion following documentary review of current and future undergraduate curricula.

Does nurse education promote caring and compassionate practice? A discussion following documentary review of current and future undergraduate curricula.

Dare to care

Paper is divided into two parts. The first contains two philosophical discussions about comprehension of courage and the second focuses on the findings in an empirical study with care home managers about the virtue of courage. First discussion revolves around the question whether the virtue of courage is expressed a) only in life–threatening situations or is it a virtue trained and exemplified in b) everyday life settings, while the second emphasises the difference between i) courage of efficiency as a skill and ii) courage of excellence as a virtue. Arguments here support a vision of courage as the virtue of excellence expressed in everyday life settings. The second part of the paper highlights a new perspective of courage with regards to the notion of care towards the aim of the courageous endeavour. The ‘courage of care’ supports the idea that the courage practised as the virtue of excellence aims to develop the moral character of the actor fundamentally outside of the life–threatening situation. Care for the self, other people, animals and intangible moral principles inspire us to do brave deeds. Thus, by accepting Alasdair MacIntyre’s statements that a) in the times of the peace managers represent moral idols and b) idea that the notion of courage should be closely related to the practice of care and compassion, the research continued with the interviews with the care home managers in Kent county in England. Conversations with care home managers released further insights into how care and compassion influence the understanding of the virtue of courage.

Understanding compassion in family medicine: a qualitative study.

Patients and physicians have traditionally valued compassion; however, there is concern that physician compassion has declined with the increasing emphasis on science and technology in medicine. Although the literature on compassion is growing, very little is known about how family physicians experience compassion in their work. To explore family physicians' capacity for and experiences of compassion in practice. This was a qualitative study designed using a phenomenological approach in rural and urban Ontario, Canada. In-depth interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim, followed by independent and team coding. An iterative and interpretive analysis was conducted using immersion and crystallisation techniques. Purposive sampling recruited 22 participants (nine males and 13 females aged 26-64 years) that included family medicine residents from Western University (n = 6), and family physicians practising <5 years (n = 7) or >10 years (n = 9) in Ontario, Canada. From the data, the authors derived the Compassion Trichotomy as a theoretical model to describe three interrelated areas that determine the evolution or devolution of compassion experienced by family physicians: motivation (core values), capacity (energy), and connection (relationship). The Compassion Trichotomy highlights the importance and interdependence in physician compassion of motivation (personal reflection and values), capacity (awareness and regulation of energy, emotion, and cognition), and connection (sustained patient-physician relationship). This model may assist practising family physicians, educators, and researchers to explore how compassion development might enhance physician effectiveness and satisfaction.

How to stop nurses leaving.

British Journal of NursingVol. 28, No. 1 RegularsHow to stop nurses leavingClaire LeaderClaire LeaderSearch for more papers by this authorClaire LeaderPublished Online:8 Jan 2019https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2019.28.1.6AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Department of Health, NHS Commissioning Board. Compassion in practice. 2012. https://tinyurl.com/jcx9yrh (accessed 12 December 2018) Google ScholarFenton K. Transform nursing with strengths based recruitment. Health Service Journal. 3 February 2014. https://tinyurl.com/yag8jkoq (accessed 12 December 2018) Google ScholarGriffeth RW, Hom PW, Gaertner S. A meta-analysis of antecedents and correlates of employee turnover. Journal of Management. 2000; 26(3):463–488. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-2063(00)00043-X Crossref, Google ScholarHill B. Does leadership style of modern matrons contribute to safer and more effective clinical services? Nurs Manag (Harrow). 2017; 24(1):21–25. https://doi.org/10.7748/nm.2017.e1488 Crossref, Medline, Google ScholarHealth and Safety Executive. What are the management standards? 2009. https://tinyurl.com/q4293 (accessed 12 December 2018) Google ScholarJohnson S, Robertson I, Cooper C. Well-being: productivity and happiness at work. 2nd edn. London: Palgrave Macmillan; 2018 Crossref, Google ScholarThe King's Fund. The future of leadership and management in the NHS: no more heroes. 2011. https://tinyurl.com/yakyju8b (accessed 12 December 2018) Google ScholarThe King's Fund. Patient-centred leadership: rediscovering our purpose. 2013. https://tinyurl.com/yahvg7qg (accessed 12 December 2018) Google ScholarMaben J, Peccei R, Adams M et al.. for the National Institute for Health Research. Exploring the relationship between patients' experiences of care and the influence of staff motivation, affect and wellbeing. 2012. https://tinyurl.com/l6j8dtx (accessed 12 December 2018) Google ScholarNursing and Midwifery Council. The NMC register. 2017. https://tinyurl.com/ycsyhdyv (accessed 12 December 2018) Google ScholarStephenson J. Exclusive: nurse line managers lack time to support staff. Nursingtimes.net. 4 October 2018 Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 10 January 2019Volume 28Issue 1ISSN (print): 0966-0461ISSN (online): 2052-2819 Metrics History Published online 8 January 2019 Published in print 10 January 2019 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Embodying compassion: A systematic review of the views of nurses and patients.

To provide a review of empirical research investigating how compassion is expressed by nurses and received by patients in hospital settings. Compassion is viewed as an important and fundamental part of a health professional practice. Universally, reports from both media and government agencies have addressed perceived deficits of compassion in healthcare with nurses accused of a lack of compassion. Research into compassion to date has largely focused on the problematic nature of compassion such as burnout, fatigue and other negative personal and work-related outcomes. A systematic literature review of empirical research guided by a meta-ethnographic approach supported the systematic comparison and translation of the included studies. Six online databases were searched from January 2006-December 2016. This review was carried out according to the PRISMA-P reporting guidelines. How compassion in healthcare was defined was extracted alongside findings on how compassion was expressed by nurses and received by patients. Synthesis of the research was completed resulting in new interpretations. Eleven papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Multiple differing definitions of compassion in healthcare were applied. Nurses embody and enact compassion through behaviours such as spending time with patients and communicating effectively with patients. Patients experience compassion through a sense of togetherness with nurses. Existing research demonstrated dissonance between the expression of compassion by nurses and how compassion is experienced by patients. The themes identified in this review should be considered by health professionals providing patient care. Health providers should acknowledge and account for the time that nurses need with patients to demonstrate compassion in practice. Nursing education relating to the expression of compassion should articulate both the subjectivity and ambiguity of the term and examine the relationship between compassion and suffering.

Implementing a Peer Support Network to Promote Compassion Without Fatigue.

The aims of this study were to implement a Peer Support Network (PSN) pilot project including education/training, peer support, and resiliency training and to explore how interventions impact compassion satisfaction (CS) and compassion fatigue (CF) in a community hospital. CF has been reported to negatively affect nurse retention. The PSN provides a 3-tiered team approach to enhance CS and support nurses experiencing CF symptoms. Twenty nurses participated in PSN training and completed preimplementation and 6-week postimplementation surveys: Professional Quality of Life, Compassion Practice Instrument, and self-care resource utilization. Statistically significant improvements in CS and nonstatistical improvements in CF were found. Promoting a PSN may increase CS and potentially prevent work-related physical, emotional, social, and intellectual CF sequelae.

Cameos of Compassion: Exploring compassionate care using secondary analysis of digital patients’ stories

Patient stories have been identified as a powerful tool to improve quality of care. Healthtalk.org is a digital resource (specific health-related website) presenting patients’ experiences of illness and healthcare through trigger films, videos and articles. Data have been generated from narrative interviews conducted by experienced researchers, based at the Health Experiences Research Group (HERG), University of Oxford. Our project explored the potential use of secondary analysis of digital sources as a methodological innovation to develop as a tool for teaching compassion to nursing students. For that, a purposive sample of transcripts from the HERG archive were selected for secondary analysis. Patients expressed both positive and negative experiences of care. Positive themes included: continuity of care and attentiveness to the fundamentals of care. Negative themes were related to poor quality of care; ignoring patient and family needs; and not being available for patients and family when needed. We concluded that secondary analysis of narrative interviews provides a powerful resource for identifying positive and negative patient experiences for learning and teaching. These can be designed into a digital toolkit and used as a learning and teaching resource to develop staff and students’ reflexivity in relation to the values and leadership behaviours associated with compassionate care and positive practice.

Building Compassion Capacity: Chester Retold and Storyhouse, a Case Study

This article is a case study of a level five experiential learning module that I designed and taught at the University of Chester in the summer term of 2018 in collaboration with the city’s innovative new arts hub, Storyhouse. As a case study, it will demonstrate how ‘compassion’ can be placed at the heart of module design within Higher Education Arts and Humanities teaching, as well as how compassionate practice can emerge organically from innovation.

A Critically Compassionate Approach to Financial Literacy: A Pursuit of Moral Spirit

An alternative perspective of financial literacy questioned the conceptual legitimacy of sustained personal fulfillment through maximization of financial net worth. In this alternative view, a focus on financial assets and their accumulation constitutes an activity of objectification that perceives other individuals as vehicles for personal social advancement, rather than stories or narratives of themselves. This paper argues that a critically compassionate approach to financial literacy represents a moral pursuit. It begins with the claim that human nature is both controlling and compassionate, and that this dual nature informs about the meaning of financial literacy. From this position, it considers what it may mean to be moral in this context and extending that conception to understandings of financial practice. Finally, it asserts broadening interpretations of financial literacy to include compassionate practices represent a moral consideration.

Toward A Transformative And Sustainable Practice Of Compassion In Workplaces

Compassion has received much attention in recent organizational scholarship as an important factor for creating an emotionally healthy workplace. This study contributes to the growing literature on organizational compassion by seeing compassion through the lens of Christian biblical theology. The biblical word for compassion is an emotive-action word that always demands holistic involvement of the compassion-giver in response to others’ suffering. Moreover, it requires interpersonal commitment and comes at a significant cost to the compassion-giver. Such understanding of compassion can help organizational leaders better appreciate the potential and limits of compassion and nurture truly transformative and sustainable practice of compassion in organizations.

Acts of kindness reduce depression in individuals low on agreeableness.

Low Agreeableness is a personality dimension involving hostility, antagonistic behaviors, and the propensity for conflict. Within the repertoire of positive psychology interventions, the practice of compassion may be a particularly redemptive for these individuals given their deficits in this domain