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Caring with Compassion

Components that Define the Professional Quality of Life

Professional quality of life is made up of a balance between positive and negative aspects of one’s work. The positive aspects of one’s work—Compassion Satisfaction—counterbalances Secondary Traumatic Stress and burnout, which together lead to Compassion Fatigue. There are three contributors to burnout, exhaustion, cynicism and inefficacy, that may impact not only provider well-being but also the quality of work.

Diagram showing components of fatigue vs. satisfaction. Further description below

Reflection

Take a closer look at this flowsheet and notice how Compassion Satisfaction stands alone to counterbalance secondary trauma and burnout.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you reflect on feeling joy in your work?

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Accessible Version

Image shows a diagram with a series of connected boxes.

Box 1 on the left is titled: "Professional Quality of Life." Branching from it are two boxes: "Compassion Satisfaction" and "Compassion Fatigue."

The box "Compassion Fatigue" has two further boxes branching off it: "Secondary Traumatic Stress" and "Burnout."

The box "Burnout" has three further boxes branching off it: "Exhaustion," "Cynicism," and "Inefficiency."