From Empathy to Compassion Fatigue: A Narrative Review of Implications in Healthcare

Abstract

Evidence is clear regarding the importance of empathy in the development of effective relationships between healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients in the delivery of successful healthcare. HCPs have pledged to relieve patient suffering, and they value the satisfaction felt from caring for their patients. However, empathy may lead to negative consequences for the empathiser. If there is a personal identification with the emotions of the distressed person, empathic concern may evolve into personal distress leading to compassion fatigue over time. A narrative review was used to explore the connection between empathy and compassion fatigue. A search of MEDLINE, PsychINFO and CINAHL resulted in 141 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. The results included in this chapter explore the practical implications of empathy in relation to compassion fatigue, examining the impact on HCPs as well as the potential risk factors and effective strategies to reduce compassion fatigue. The negative impact of compassion fatigue can have a severe impact on HCP well-being and can in turn impact the care received by the patient. Nevertheless, and despite existing effective strategies to support and manage those experiencing compassion fatigue, more needs to be done to prevent its development in HCPs.