COMPASSION IS ESSENTIAL DURING PATIENT CARE

COMPASSION IS ESSENTIAL DURING PATIENT CARE

Claudia Elizabeth Sanchez
Northwest College

COMPASSION IS ESSENTIAL DURING PATIENT CARE

Introduction
Although doctors are the ones who make the important calls on a patient's treatment, like
what medication needs to be given, nurses interact the most with the patient throughout their
care. Whether they are being cared for at a clinic or staying at a hospital, nurses are the ones
who give the patients their medications (after ordered by the doctor), help the patient to the
restroom, help the patient out of bed, and so on. That is why how a nurse acts towards the
patient affects their overall mood and recovery. Although nurses do have to be intelligent, like
Dr. Francis said in the article: "Compassionate care enhancement: benefits and outcomes", "The
secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient" (Post, 2011). Compassion is the most
important characteristic a nurse can have, when caring for their patients.
Most of us have been there before. At a clinic getting checked for a cold, or at a hospital
being cared for after surgery or after giving birth. I was there not too long ago, being cared for
after giving birth to my daughter. Throughout my stay, the people who were there the most to
check on me and my daughter, were the nurses. I had three nurses, and out of all three, I only
liked two of them. This is because two of them were very compassionate and understanding
when I was in pain during my 10-hour labor or when I struggled to get out of bed to get my
daughter after my surgery. Meanwhile, the other nurse was very cold, expression-less, and
seemed to not genuinely care, for me or my daughter.

COMPASSION IS ESSENTIAL DURING PATIENT CARE

The Importance of Compassion
This is exactly why compassion is the most important characteristic during patient care.
Although a nurse can be smart and know what they're doing, what impacts their patients the most
is how they act while caring for them. That is what they will remember. Jenni Middleton, the
editor of Nursing Times states in her article "Ethical and Compassionate Nursing", "Compassion
is at the very core of nursing practice, and a quality most nurses possess in spades" (Middleton ,
2011). In other words, compassion is the center or main characteristic a nurse must possess.
People can say that compassion is not important as long as the nurses do their job
correctly, but that is not so. In "How Nurse Care Affects Patient Recovery" it states that a study
in Japan ,"found that the expressed emotion (EE) by nurses toward patients could have an effect
on a patient's illness, with positive expression increasing the rate of recovery"(Sacred Heart
University). So treating patients with compassion can even affect how fast and well they
recover.
Nobody outside of the medical field would think compassion is something that can be
taught, but it actually is. To many people, "it is a quality that is innate, one attained even before
birth" (Hart, 2011). Yet in "Ethical and Compassionate Nursing" Middleton mentions that
compassion has been taught all throughout history, from the time nurses existed basically. She
states that, "most textbooks began with an introductory chapter on the moral basis of nursing and
the importance of developing a virtuous character" (Middleton ,2011). In other words, in the
very beginning of the nurse's teaching they were taught that compassion was very important in
this career.
Although nurses are taught that compassion is important, somehow some nurses are not
using what they were taught. The article by Middleton also states that there were reports in 2011

COMPASSION IS ESSENTIAL DURING PATIENT CARE

from the Health Service Ombudsman and the Care Quality Commission that showed that ,"not
all patients receive compassionate care from nursing staff. And unsurprisingly, the reports
concerned the most vulnerable of patients such as older people and those nearing the end of their
lives-the very people in greatest need of humanity and kindness from the people providing their
care."
This means that the patients that need the most compassion, are not receiving it. All
patients should be treated like their nurses genuinely care for them, especially patients who are
nearing the end of their lives. Their "last days" are the most important, and to be able to spend
those days with them and care for them during that time is a privilege. Yes, there might be
something going on in the nurse's personal life or with the staff at work, that could be affecting
their overall mood, but his is not the patient's problem. They deserve to be treated with respect
and compassion. If the nurse is having personal problems, they have to have the capability of
leaving those problems at home, away from their patients.
Instead of making the patient assume things, the nurse could make them feel more
comfortable by showing they care. In the article "Nurses' Compassionate Care Affects Patient
Outcomes", Paulette Heitmeyer, a chief nursing officer at Marina Del Rey Hospital in California
said, Sitting in a chair next to the patient, listening without interrupting, following through on
requests and simply asking the patients what they need from a physical, mental and spiritual
standpoint is essential in truly understanding the patient."
Not just what the nurses say, but their body language also makes a big impact. For
example: slamming doors, stomping feet, a serious face. These are all a part of a person's body
language, that should not be used. They clearly show that this person is upset about something,

COMPASSION IS ESSENTIAL DURING PATIENT CARE

and these emotions need to be kept away from the patient. The patient could interpret this
differently, and could even be insulted by them.
Of course the patient's well being is priority, but part of them feeling well has to do with
how they are being treated at the time. In "Compassionate care enhancement: benefits and
outcomes" it says that, " When doctors are compassionate, they achieve earlier and more accurate
diagnoses because the patient is better able to divulge information when he or she feels
emotionally relaxed and safe" (Post ,2011). As surprising as it is, the medical staff making
patients feel like they genuinely care about them, helps in the overall treatment of the patient.
The more cared for and comfortable the patient feels, the better treatment they will
receive and the less chance there is of patient accidents. In "Nurses' Compassionate Care
Influences Patient Outcomes" it states, "Additionally, the patient may be more willing to reach
out to a nurse who seems caring than one who seems rushed or more interested in the equipment
than in the person in the bed. Consequently, the patient may be more willing to press the call bell
for help rather than attempting to walk to the bathroom alone." If a patient is in pain, and do not
as for help from a nurse due to them "feeling uncomfortable" there is a chance of them slipping
or falling. Therefore, creating more injury to the patient.
Others might argue that patients don't care about nurses, doctors, or other medical staff
being compassionate, but this is inaccurate. In the article "Compassionate care enhancement:
benefits and outcomes" it says, "One study found that patients reporting the poorest relationships
with their physicians were three times more likely to leave that physician's practice than were
patients with the highest-quality relationships"(Post ,2011). Therefore, when patients don't feel
like the medical staff really cares for them, they will choose to leave, and receive care elsewhere.

COMPASSION IS ESSENTIAL DURING PATIENT CARE

Conclusion
It is proven, from all the articles I have read, that a patient will feel more comfortable if
they feel cared for by their nurses. This way they will ring the bell for help to go to the bathroom
instead of risking themselves for injury by going by themselves. They will also be more open
about any new symptoms they may be experiencing. Therefore, they allow the medical staff to
better care for them. This leads to better patient care and a faster recovery.

COMPASSION IS ESSENTIAL DURING PATIENT CARE

References
Middleton, Jenni. (2011) Nursing Times Article: Ethical and Compassionate Nursing. (1-6)
Online Link: https://www.nursingtimes.net/Journals/2011/08/24/j/y/s/NT-Ethical-Compassionate-Care.pdf
Sacred Heart University. Article: How Nurse Care Affects Patient Recovery. Online link:
http://onlineprograms.sacredheart.edu/resource/nursing/how-nurse-care-affects-patientrecovery
Wood, Debra. (2014) Travel Nursing Article: Nurses' Compassionate Care
Affects Patient Outcomes. Online link: https://www.travelnursing.com/news/nursenews/nurses-compassionate-care-affects-patient-outcomes/
Post PhD, Stephen G.. (2011) Article: The International Journal of Person Centered Medicine:
Compassionate care enhancement: benefits and outcomes. Online link:
https://www.stonybrook.edu/bioethics/CCE.pdf
Hart, Melissa. (2011) A Nurse I Am 2011 Winning Essays. Article: Compassion:
A Necessity For Quality Nursing Care. Online link:
http://www.anurseiam.com/show_winners.php?winning_nurses_id=57