Prior to crisis management action accurate analysis of a disaster situation is essential. Only after an obvious danger is established then can suitable handling or avoidance steps be taken. Catastrophe analytical procedures can equally be applied to exhausted care professionals.
Trauma casualties and crisis management specialists are generally at risk of sympathy lethargy. A state of despair may engulf both a disaster victim and the caregiver. Diminished optimism has been observed in numerous care professions including nursing and counseling.
Compassion fatigue occurs in repeated flashbacks of traumatic episodes. A common indicator of sympathy lethargy is intuitive freezing or expressiveness collapse. Psychological outcomes are inefficient work productivity and abandonment. Signs of compassion fatigue are comparable to burnout indicators. However, exhaustion status is distinct in that it occurs over a prolonged period.
Burnout feelings are developed by a dissatisfaction of working conditions. On the other hand, compassion fatigue is accumulated and its origin can be traced back (Stang, 2010). Compassion fatigue is therefore as a result of individual reaction to a trauma situation. Exhaustion is directly connected to a psychological condition adapted by an individual.
Trauma management experts can develop both compassion fatigue and burnout. The consequences are founded on individual disaster reaction. An individuals’ lethargic status, separated from despair, is directly linked to task performance. Weariness effects might be revealed by sluggish response, pessimism, or individual incompetence. Such qualities typify a diminished keenness to tackle a task and a mood of hopelessness (Miller & McGowen, 2010).
Contemptuous approaches towards management of trauma victims can lead to care apathy. Consequently, fatigue developed by disaster assistance personnel can be predicted. An observation of personal approach to the task exposes tiredness. The outcome of work satisfaction is largely dependent on individual performance on a task.
Population age sets reaction to traumatic episodes has solicited lengthy discussions among psychology scholars. Studies have suggested diverse opinions on age group response, susceptibility, and handling of disasters. However, advanced research has established disaster reaction and handling parallels exist among age sets. Different age groups respond to distressing episodes in comparable styles. Reactions to catastrophes based on troubled notions intensity, evasive conduct, and ensuing health challenges are alike across age sets.
Disaster sensitivity accounts for how individual age groups respond to a traumatic event. Studies have established that disaster impact awareness is similar in all age sets. Disaster alertness relation between age sets contributes to response and coping outcome. Persons with diverse age sets respond equally to disasters and apply matching survival tactics.
Therefore, it is unwarranted to imagine that elderly persons have better disaster reaction capacities. Psychologically all persons have similar insight on disaster effects hence equivalent reactions are expected across all generations.
Recently, the World Health Organization stipulated that a major objective for crisis administrators ought to be elderly members of the society care. The organization issued the statement to curb injuries and poor health among older people in the event of a disaster.
Quick reaction to a disaster must surpass the typical crisis response (Eureka Science News, 2010). Elderly society members are equally vulnerable to crisis as other members. Ultimately, all members of a population should be cared for similarly in the event of a calamity.
In the long run, crisis management has no age, sex, or gender barriers. Reaction and coping to an emergency is similar across different human strata. Response differentiations appear in individual psychological preparedness. Persons with post-trauma experiences can develop compassion fatigue much more readily.
Furthermore, burnout feelings depend on individual psychological status. Negative feelings towards a task produce a drowsiness experience. Compassion fatigue and burnout states are related to individual consciousness in a crisis situation.
References List
Eureka Science News. (2010). Frail elderly disaster. Inderscience Publishers. Web.
Miller, N.M. and McGowen, R. (2010). Strategies to Avoid Burnout in Professional Practice Some Practical Suggestions. Psychiatric Times. 27 (2). Web.
Stang, D.L. (2010). What to Do When Helping Starts to Hurt. Web.