Compassion Fatigue in Nurse Educators: Understanding and Addressing Emotional Burnout in Healthcare Teaching – Faculty Focus

Nursing is one of the most arduous careers due to job demands that can cause physical and emotional exhaustion, which greatly affect nursing educators. Nursing Educators are critical in shaping the future of nurses by teaching students the most up-to-date knowledge, skills, and values that they need to succeed by providing students with ways to stay motivated, feel supported, instill compassion, encourage professionalism and growth, and the development of skills for the real-life challenges of nursing. 

Burnout 

The role of a nursing educator is to inspire students, but the stress of academia can be daunting due to working long and exhausting hours, which can lead to burnout. Burnout can be recognized as prolonged pressure and frustration, that can lead to emotional and physical distress, and can cause educators to become impatient and distant from students and cohorts. Furthermore, nursing educators suffering from burnout can exhibit a lack of interest in their job, affect self-esteem by feeling like they are not performing well, and demonstrate doubt in their ability.  It seems reasonable that organizational issues such as change in culture, administration, lack of support, and inadequate resources contribute to burnout and can result in workplace strain. 

Support

It is important that faculty feels supported.  College Academic Leadership can identify strategies addressing burnout. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AANC), a causative element to the nursing deficit is recognized as a nursing faculty shortage, which can ultimately affect who is accepted into the nursing program each year due to a deficient number of faculty, sites for clinical rotations, and clinical faculty.  Nursing faculty facing burnout exhibit exhaustion, reduced effectiveness, and psychological disconnection from work (Watson, 2023).

Compassion Fatigue

Compassion fatigue is most often referenced in the inpatient healthcare setting but is also prevalent and significant in the academic setting. It is caused by witnessing significant amounts of stress in another person and trying to care for them simultaneously over time (Aslan et al., 2022).  The constant stress and fatigue educators endure can put them at a higher risk of burnout. 

Compassion fatigue can reveal symptoms such as exhaustion, decreased concentration, and inability to function in the workplace. Burnout impairs both personal and social functioning and can lead to a decrease in the quality of work. Burnout can be costly for both physical and psychological health, not only for the person suffering burnout but for everyone who comes into contact with that person. Nursing instructors put in a lot of hours with employers, from instructing, curriculum design, committee work, office hours, advising, and trying to balance their school life with their private lives. 

Compassion Fatigue in Nursing Faculty

Nursing faculty are at a higher risk of compassion fatigue due to unhealthy work environments in both clinical and academic settings. Staffing violence, increasing workplace demands and workload, and workplace violence help explain the unhealthy work environments that nursing faculty face (Watson, 2023).  Many nursing faculty members make themselves available to students through emails all day, which does not equate to a healthy work-home life balance. Over time, if the stress and anxiety of nursing educators are not balanced out, the educators may succumb to mental health exhaustion and compassion fatigue. This has been one of the greatest reasons for nursing educator turnover. Encouraging and promoting a healthy work-life balance and decreasing compassion fatigue can also help facilitate positive student outcomes (Watson, 2023). 

Nurses are in high demand due to those retiring, the aging population, leaving the workforce, lack of mental health support, and insufficient nursing school faculty. Data showed that nearly 100,000 registered nurses departed the workforce due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Research shows that by 2027, over one-fifth of 4.5 million total registered nurses are anticipated to depart the workforce and, as a consequence, jeopardize the healthcare system and future (NCSBN, 2024).  These statistics prove how essential healthy nursing educators are needed during the next several years to ensure that future nursing students are adequately prepared to go into the workforce.

Combating Compassion Fatigue

Institutional responsibilities

Addressing compassion fatigue requires a multifaceted approach.  Institutions must prioritize nurse educators’ mental health and well-being by implementing supportive policies and programs. Strategies such as providing access to counseling services, fostering a supportive work environment, and encouraging work-life balance are essential. Additionally, incorporating training on self-care and resilience into professional development can equip nurse educators with the tools needed to manage stress and prevent burnout. 

Individual responsibilities

Individual strategies exist when addressing the personal concerns of compassion fatigue.  One of the most important strategies is the ability to “schedule” wellness, resilience, and work-life balance needs.  Faculty should not be inhibited from self-scheduling time for themselves.  This could include scheduling time for a visit with friends, watching a movie, or spending and appreciating time with family.  By participating in self-serving activities, faculty can feel rejuvenation and enjoyment in life!  Staying healthy is a priority.  Organize your schedule to include your regular healthcare and personal appointments.  Good sleep, physical activity, and a well-balanced diet are tried and true ways to promote healthy living.  If we are not healthy and able to care properly for ourselves, how can we take care of our students?  Self-health must have precedence.  

Setting professional goals that align with your job expectations and knowing it is okay to say “no” when requested tasks do not align with your required responsibilities.  Attend professional development opportunities to help “reenergize” a passion for teaching.  Create time in your schedule for this – do not allow yourself to disregard the opportunity if feeling overwhelmed.

Finally, maintain boundaries.  Healthy boundaries can strengthen oneself and help one find a balance between home and work responsibilities.  The boundary lines can often be invisible, and one cannot see where one role ends and the other begins.   Setting respectful boundaries will allow for safe spaces, and relationships (home and work) can become more appreciated and meaningful. 

Future Implications

Compassion fatigue in nurse educators is a significant issue that impacts their well-being and ability to effectively teach and supervise students. Symptoms of compassion fatigue include emotional exhaustion, reduced empathy, and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment, which can have ripple effects on nursing education and patient care. High emotional demands, exposure to student and patient suffering, and academic pressures contribute to nurses’ distress. Intrinsic motivation to care for students and patients can paradoxically increase vulnerability to compassion fatigue. Future research should focus on understanding the prevalence and impact of compassion fatigue among nurses and the effectiveness of interventions. By developing a deeper understanding of this issue and implementing robust support systems, the nursing education community can better protect the health and effectiveness of its educators, ultimately improving the quality of patient care and sustainability in the nursing workforce.

Renee Pierce, DNP, RN, is an assistant professor of Nursing at Bradley University.  Laura Flinn, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, is an assistant professor of Nursing at Bradley University. Maureen Herman, DNP, RN, is an assistant professor of Nursing at Bradley University.  Robert Lucia, DNP, APRN-FPA, FNP-BC, LCPC is an assistant professor or Nursing at Bradley University.

References

Aslan, H., Eric, B., Pekince, H. (2022).  Relationship between compassion fatigue in nurses, and work-related stress and the meaning of life. Journal of Religion and Health. 61(3), 1848–1860.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2022). Nursing shortage fact sheet. Accessed June 22, 2024.

National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2024). NCSBN research projects significant nursing  workforce shortages and crisis.

Watson M. F. (2023).  The relationship between psychological distress of nursing faculty with burnout. SAGE Open Nursing. 9, 2377960823118120