The step-by-step process for teaching compassion, and putting compassion at the center of care, is called C.A.R.E. The acronym stands for Connect, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate and End. We will be applying each of the steps to ourselves, our staff, and our patients and their families. This is crucial for the method to work.
“You care about your patients and know that your staff cares, too. But it feels like the external factors are keeping you from providing the excellent care you know your staff is capable of. How can we find the time to be compassionate?”
Research is showing very clearly, that compassion matters. Patient outcomes improve when staff treat them with dignity and respect. Doesn’t everyone know how to be compassionate? Shouldn’t we all know how to show our compassion?
Compassion is more than a feeling of empathy, it’s also a wisdom for how to act; what to do that will serve our patients best. That’s where the C.A.R.E. process comes in. Let’s talk about the first letter: “C.” The “C” stands for “Connection.” Something that we all want is connection, be that with our friends and family, our colleagues, and with our patients and their families. When we make a connection with others, those connections make our lives rewarding and satisfying.
Connection, though, starts with us. We need to connect with ourselves, and learn to give ourselves compassion. Dr. Kristen Neff is a researcher who has studied self-compassion, and she has concluded that self-compassion is crucial to prevent burn out, enhance our self-esteem, and improve our quality of life. We need to connect body, mind, and spirit to become centered, balanced, and happy.
Then it’s important to connect to our staff. They need to know that you listen to them and hear who they are as people. They can be frustrated when the pressures of the job have few rewards or outlets. When we find out what matters to them, we can work with them in ways that shows that we care, will support them, and will work on their behalf.
Connecting to our patients is what we went into nursing for. We want to help people, and make a difference in their lives. To do that, we need to connect with them as people, treating them with dignity and respect. Over the coming weeks, and in the course “C.A.R.E. About What Matters,” we’ll cover the step-by-step process that will help you do just that.
The step-by-step process I call C.A.R.E. will work with any facility, charting system, or care delivery model because it’s a shift in perspective, not a policy or procedure. I’m looking forward to introducing you to all of the steps. Keep reading, and you’ll see how all of this fits together. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and click the button to register for the continuing education portal. You can take some free courses to try things out.