Using the Nurse as Wounded Healer Theory
Nursing burnout is a widely discussed topic that continues to garner attention.
Nurses in emergency and critical care settings are particularly vulnerable to developing
burnout due to the chronic occupational stressors they are exposed to everyday.
Nursing burnout can lead to emotional exhaustion and disengagement
which greatly affects the care patients receive.
According to Stimpfel et al., hospitals with high burnout rates tend to have lower patient satisfaction.
Further, nursing burnout has been linked to an increased likelihood of infections in patients (Cimiotti, 2012). The authors will apply The Theory Of The Nurse As Wounded Healer to nurses in emergency and critical care settings. By recognizing, transforming, and transcending the pain of trauma in their own lives,
nurses can use this theory to better their therapeutic care for patients and avoid burnout.
Nurses in emergency and critical care settings are particularly vulnerable to developing
burnout due to the chronic occupational stressors they are exposed to everyday.
Nursing burnout can lead to emotional exhaustion and disengagement
which greatly affects the care patients receive.
According to Stimpfel et al., hospitals with high burnout rates tend to have lower patient satisfaction.
Further, nursing burnout has been linked to an increased likelihood of infections in patients (Cimiotti, 2012). The authors will apply The Theory Of The Nurse As Wounded Healer to nurses in emergency and critical care settings. By recognizing, transforming, and transcending the pain of trauma in their own lives,
nurses can use this theory to better their therapeutic care for patients and avoid burnout.
Objectives
By the end of this module, reader will be able to:
- Define and explain components of Wounded Healer Theory
- Define nursing burnout
- Describe the impact of burnout on nurses
- Explain how nurses can use NWHT to help combat burnout
- Describe individualized solutions to nursing burnout with NWHT
- Define barriers related to NWHT