Health Practitioners and the Directive Towards Compassionate Healthcare in the UK: Exploring the Need to Educate Health Practitioners on How to be Self-Compassionate and Mindful Alongside Mandating Compassion Towards Patients

Authors

Helen Egan, Birmingham City University, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences, Room C324, The Curzon Building, 4 Cardigan St, Birmingham B4 7BD, UKFollow
Michail Mantzios, Birmingham City University, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences, Room C324, The Curzon Building, 4 Cardigan St, Birmingham B4 7BD, UK
Craig Jackson, Birmingham City University, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences, Room C324, The Curzon Building, 4 Cardigan St, Birmingham B4 7BD, UK

Abstract

Concerns have been periodically raised about care that lacks compassion in health care settings. The resulting demands for an increase in consistent compassionate care for patients have frequently failed to acknowledge the potentially detrimental implications for health care professionals including compassion fatigue and a failure to care for oneself. This communication suggests how mindfulness and self-compassion may advance means of supporting those who care for a living and extends the call for greater compassion to include people working within a contemporary health care setting in the United Kingdom. The potential benefits for both health professionals and patients is implied, and may well help to create a healthier, more authentically compassionate environment for all.

Recommended Citation

Egan, Helen; Mantzios, Michail; and Jackson, Craig (2017) "Health Practitioners and the Directive Towards Compassionate Healthcare in the UK: Exploring the Need to Educate Health Practitioners on How to be Self-Compassionate and Mindful Alongside Mandating Compassion Towards Patients," Health Professions Education: Vol. 3: Iss. 2, Article 2.
DOI: 10.1016/j.hpe.2016.09.002
Available at: https://hpe.researchcommons.org/journal/vol3/iss2/2