Nursing Essay: Compassionate Care and Development in Nursing Care

This essay delves into the crucial concept of compassionate care within the nursing profession, specifically focusing on the care of elderly patients. The assignment begins with an introduction to compassionate care, highlighting its significance in fostering a strong nurse-patient relationship and improving patient outcomes. The essay then provides an overview of nursing practices in the care of the elderly, emphasizing the unique needs of this demographic. A comprehensive literature review explores the existing research on compassionate care, including the influence of workplace culture and the use of emotional touchpoints in enhancing the patient experience. The essay identifies key themes and findings from the literature, such as the importance of nurses' attitudes, empathy, and communication skills. The analysis also examines the role of professional standards and codes of conduct in promoting compassionate care. The essay concludes by reinforcing the significance of compassionate care as a fundamental element of effective healthcare, advocating for a patient-centered approach that prioritizes the emotional and psychological well-being of elderly patients.

Running head: NURSING
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Development in Nursing Care
Essay
Student
10/1/2019

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Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................................2
Overview of Nursing Practice in care of Old Age people.....................................................................2
Literature Review while describing the Workplace Culture in the Context of Compassionate care in
Nursing............................................................................................................................................3
Themes and Findings.............................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................7
Bibliography..........................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
In this following assignment, a brief discussion over the compassionate care in the
nursing of the old age patients has been conducted. Through the assignment, the ongoing work
culture in the care of the patients forms the compassionate care perspective that can be analyzed.
In this, a literature review has been conducted to gain a clear understanding of the concept.
Compassionate Care is a combination of the word that describes the concern in the
quality of care to the patients. It is a core element of medical facilities provided by the nurses and
medical staff to the people suffering from the illness. It signifies the essence of the bond between
nurses and patients. In the nursing profession, all-compassionate nurses have great sympathy
towards the sufferers which essential for the health of the victims (Sinclair, et al., 2016). The
concerning attitude of the nurses, helps them to become comfortable when they are in pain,
depressed and suffering from diseases ( Denieffe & Madden, 2015). This not only assists the
nurses in providing effective treatment to the patients but also directs them perceiving the gravity
of the issue by enabling them to experience the situation of the patients. By displaying
compassion, nurses support, empowers the patient to overcome their fear, and prepares them for
a speedy recovery (Henderson & Jones, 2017).
Identification of Area of Interest :Overview of Nursing Practice in care of Old Age people
As compassionate care and support from the nurses, encourages people to stay mentally
and psychically strong, as a nurse I want to care for the elderly patients. Geriatric population
with the age start behaving like babies, due to which it requires a professional team of people
who can look after the need of the patients and listen to their problems. They are needed to be

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handled delicately. However many of the immature and unskilled nurses are losing the touch of
compassionate care due to which many elderly patients are disappointed and frustrated by the
treatment they are receiving in the wards. This indicates a range of complexities in the medical
procedure of the patients. Hence, there is a need for supportive nurses who can foster
compassion and care in the treatment of the patients. I aspire to become a Geriatric nurse as I
understand the needs of the patients by emotionally connecting to themselves and can empower
them by easily engaging, communicating. As a nurse, I want to strive hard for providing a safe
and secure environment for the patients and their family members by involving them in the
procedure of the treatment (O'Keeffe , 2015 ).
It can be observed that with the increase in elderly patients on a global scale, there has
been a decline in physical activity, which has increased the prevalence of various acute and
prolonged diseases. Therefore, elderly patients require compassionate care from the nursing staff
and doctors. Elderly patients must be provided skilled, respectful and motivated midwives who
can listen and help the patients in the effective treatment. The main purpose of providing a
geriatric nurse is to make the patient and their family members understand the gravity of their
illness. Nurses must treat patients with sympathy and hold their hands. Moreover, nurses have to
be ready to face challenges and issues that are prevailing around patients like Dementia, diabetes
and various other health-related diseases. There are might be various unfamiliar incidents that
can occur ( Denieffe & Madden, 2015).

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Literature Review while describing the Workplace Culture in the Context of
Compassionate care in Nursing
In Australia, The Australian Medical Association has formed certain rules and regulations
for the treatment of old age people, where they included that health care of the elderly patients
has become a priority of a nation. Moreover, they included that older people have the right to
live their life independently ( Dewar, Mackay, Smith, Pullin, & Tocher, 2009).
To receive detailed information about the influence of compassionate care over the treatment of
the elderly patients, a small literature review over the “Use of emotional touchpoints as a method
of tapping into the experience of receiving compassionate care in a hospital setting”. In this
article author Belinda Dewar and others (2009) has indicated the promotion of compassionate
care to improve the patient as well as the experience of the family. Through this research paper,
the authors are sharing his learning experience by discussing in the context of different methods
of emotional touchpoints. In this article, an action research approach has been used to promote
compassionate care in practice and education in the hospital care setting. This information has
collected by using the touchpoint procedure, which involved 16 patients, and 12 comparative
care situations that included medicinal treatment of the elderly patients suffering from mental
health and stroke.
Through the article, it can be concluded that emotional touch is the method of understanding,
listening to the opinions of suffers, and families, which has become critical for the development
in the Leadership according to the compassionate care programs. The education perceived for
such programs has majorly influenced the policies of the wards. The transformations not only
emphasized the practical answers to the problems, but it has also developed into a platform to
conduct a debate over complicated issues that can effectively contribute to compassionate care. It

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eventually has positive impacts not only over the staff but also over the patients as, nurses carry
values to help the patients in their low time ( Dewar, Mackay, Smith, Pullin, & Tocher, 2009).
Identification of Themes and Findings from Compassionate Care Perspective
Through the assistance of the above literature review, it can estimate that Compassionate
Care is a critical part of health care organizations. There are various themes and elements of
compassion, which has been observed in the medical services initiated by nurses. They have
divided approximately into 6 major categories and each has more than 2 themes like in virtue,
the theme that can be observed is authenticity, love, morality, compassion, and acceptance. In
Regional space, the two main themes they revolved are patients' consciousness and involvement
of caregivers. In Virtuous Response, there are three major themes, which are conducting by the
nurses to receive the insights regarding the patient aged patients are the priority of the midwives
and Beneficence. Another category is striving hard to understand the issue and health problems
of the patients, conducting effective communication with the patients and remaining attentive
towards the needs of the patients ( McGhee, 2019).
Hence, from its theories, it has become clear that, in the complex hospital care
environment, compassionate care is a universal theory of providing effective treatment to the
patients and solve their problems. Moreover, there are certain codes that nurses are encouraged
to apply. There are different codes like the Professional Standard of Practice and Behavior for
midwives and the different themes are prioritize, patients, practice effectively, encourage
professionalism, and loyalty. The code provides an outline so that nurses can improve their
practices and promote compassionate care in health care organizations. This code signifies and
promotes concerning attitude, which must be adopted by the nurses in the treatment of the sick

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individual. In addition to this, it promotes professionalism and indicates that the nurses must be
passionate and should caring personality so that they can treat the patients with the same
kindness and sympathy. Through a wide range of studies, it can be concluded that nurses who are
well educated and has a brief understanding of compassion are more likely to involved and help
patients with the same compassion. Besides this, there are various strategies related to
compassionate care which are essential for the smooth functioning of the treatment of the
patients (Procter, Wallbank, & Dhaliwal, 2013).
This approach was somehow beneficial to the medical practitioners as they can evaluate and
identify the positive as well negative aspects of experience which is a more balanced and
equivalent method (Bramley & Matiti, 2014).

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Conclusion
It can be concluded that compassionate care is an upfront thing of health care organization
which essential method for an effective treatment for the patients. This describes the positive and
pure relationship between the nurses and medical staff with the patients. Compassion having
sympathy and showing concern to patients so that they do not feel depressed and worse about
their condition. It has the power to create an environment where the patients and his/her families
feel secure and satisfied. In the above assignment, compassionate care has been demonstrated in
nursing of the elderly patients where I aspire to become a geriatric nurse to cure elderly patients.
Moreover, in the assignment literature has been conducted over "Use of emotional touchpoints as
a” method of tapping into the experience of receiving compassionate care in a hospital setting
through which a clear understanding has been gained in this concept.

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Bibliography
Denieffe, D., & Madden, D. (2015). An Exploration of Compassionate Care in the Older Adult
Care Setting. Retrieved 2019, from Waterford Institute of Technology:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d3ad/7296e8728c7f8680dcf03e8b3bf98347a175.pdf
Dewar, B., Mackay, R., Smith, S., Pullin, S., & Tocher, R. (2009). Use of emotional touchpoints
as a method of tapping into the experience of receiving compassionate care in a hospital
setting. Journal of Research in Nursing, 29-41.
McGhee, M. (2019). Compassionate Nurse: The Importance of Compassion in Nursing.
Retrieved 2019, from American Mobile :
https://www.americanmobile.com/nursezone/nursing-news/the-importance-of-
compassion-in-nursing/
Bramley , L., & Matiti, M. (2014). How does it really feel to be in my shoes? Patients'
experiences of compassion within nursing care and their perceptions of developing
compassionate nurses. Journal of Clinical Nursing , 19-20.
Henderson, A., & Jones, J. (2017). Developing and maintaining compassionate care in nursing.
Nursing Standard, 60-69.
O'Keeffe , D. (2015 , February 19). Treat us with compassion, understanding’ say seniors.
Retrieved 2019, from Australian Ageing Agenda :

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https://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2015/02/19/treat-us-compassion-
understanding-say-seniors/
Procter, S., Wallbank, S., & Dhaliwal, J. (2013, February 28). What compassionate care means?
Retrieved 2019, from HSJ: https://www.hsj.co.uk/comment/what-compassionate-care-
means/5055438.article
Sinclair, S., Norris, J., McConnell, S., Chochinov, H., Hack, T., Hagen, N., et al. (2016).
Compassion: a scoping review of the healthcare literature. BMC Palliative Care , 2-16.