Caring for the Carers: Compassion Fatigue & Grief in Health Professionals

This session explores the importance of 'self' as part of 'being with' the bereaved. Together we examine how grief work can affect us both professionally and personally and consider the impact of this work on our capacity to sit with others in their grief. Participants are invited to reflect on their own connection to loss and how this informs their practice.

We introduce concepts of: Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma and Burnout, how they differ, how they present, and what we can do about them. The session offers a range of personal and professional self-care strategies to support participants in building a tailored, sustainable self-care plan. Offered at the opening of the program, this session ensures the workforce is emotionally resourced before engaging in clinical skill-building.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explain how end of life work can impact your wellbeing and describe your own connection to grief and how it shapes your practice.
• Identify ways to mitigate the risk of Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma and Burnout in yourself and your colleagues.
• Apply personal and professional self-care strategies and develop a tailored self-care plan.
• Reflect on self-care as an ongoing professional commitment and identify one concrete step to sustain your capacity to be present with clients.