Compassion In Nursing
• Compassion o Definition according to Miriam-Webster: Compassion is the “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” This definition reveals that to be compassionate, you must first be conscious to other’s suffering around you. If you have compassion, the observations you make then evoke a desire within you to not just leave someone in distress, but to do something to change their situation. o Definitions of compassion in nursing care: Compassion is a force that “impels and empowers people to not only acknowledge, but also act” (Schantz, 2007 in Nursing Forum). This definition builds off of the general definition provided by Miriam Webster, and it strengthens the link between acknowledgements of
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To me, compassion is what pushes us to meet someone in their pain, in their hurt, or in their struggle. The first time I remember receiving compassion was when I was in second grade on a middle-of-the-night flight from Germany to the States. Due to my ear tubes, I was experiencing great ear pain, and a flight attendant noticed my distress. She looked to my mom and asked if she could massage my hand in order to relieve the pain. She took the time to massage my hand, knowing the correct pressure points to alleviate my ear pain, and low and behold, it worked. This flight attendant had to have felt compassion towards my situation and then had a desire to act, in accordance with the Miriam-Webster definition. This is just one small story, but it highlights how far compassion can …show more content…
I am white, I am a female in America, I am Christian, I come from an upper-middle class family, and I am a student at Vanderbilt University. I have not suffered from social injustice, and I will never be able to fathom what it’s like to be profiled for my race or slaughtered due to my religion. I’m not forced to choose food over health care or rent over transportation. However, I hope that I can spend my lifetime fighting for those who haven’t been afforded the same privileges as me. I am planning on working in a community care clinic as a Family Nurse Practitioner, and I hope to have a voice in health care policy that will make health care more
To me, compassion is what pushes us to meet someone in their pain, in their hurt, or in their struggle. The first time I remember receiving compassion was when I was in second grade on a middle-of-the-night flight from Germany to the States. Due to my ear tubes, I was experiencing great ear pain, and a flight attendant noticed my distress. She looked to my mom and asked if she could massage my hand in order to relieve the pain. She took the time to massage my hand, knowing the correct pressure points to alleviate my ear pain, and low and behold, it worked. This flight attendant had to have felt compassion towards my situation and then had a desire to act, in accordance with the Miriam-Webster definition. This is just one small story, but it highlights how far compassion can …show more content…
I am white, I am a female in America, I am Christian, I come from an upper-middle class family, and I am a student at Vanderbilt University. I have not suffered from social injustice, and I will never be able to fathom what it’s like to be profiled for my race or slaughtered due to my religion. I’m not forced to choose food over health care or rent over transportation. However, I hope that I can spend my lifetime fighting for those who haven’t been afforded the same privileges as me. I am planning on working in a community care clinic as a Family Nurse Practitioner, and I hope to have a voice in health care policy that will make health care more