Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education
Open Access

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Community nursing plays a key role for the people within that community to be active in civil society. Community nurses should be knowledgeable, caring and professional healthcare practitioners who have the ability to recognize, treat and prevent health problems that stop the community from thriving and being active within the economy of their country. In this country many disruptions occur within the healthcare settings including access to resources, internal and external political factors and stressors related to working in a complex health environment. Community nurses are exposed to incivility and the distress of their patient’s conditions. Research has found that working within this type of environment increases the risk of burnout. Burnout affects the community nurses ability to care for others and causes exhaustion, cynicism and inefficiency. Burnout contributes to an inability to safely and effectively address the complex needs within that community. This leads to a breakdown in trust and communication within the community health system. If unable to work together effectively, the entire system is negatively affected and cannot provide the service it was created for. The effect of rudeness, loss of trust and uncertainty on the human brain is well researched in neuroscience. It leads to the inability of the community nurse to serve her community with passion and compassion. The purpose of this talk is to enable community nurses to recognize what burnout is, what effect it has on the individual and how we can avoid it. Findings: Nurses in a South African context are faced with daily stressors and uncertainty hindering their ability to serve the communities they provide a service to. Conclusion & Significance: Burnout within the community health setting has a knock-on effect, it can be prevented by building resilience, improving leadership and creating an environment based on trust.

Biography

Colleen Davis is registered as a primary health care nurse with the South African Nursing Council. Colleen has fourteen years’ experience in different independent school health clinic settings. She has extensive experience in learning and development in a private hospital setting and has branched into executive coaching. Colleen’s passion is the development of women in leadership, supporting leaders as they grapple with their identify function as a leader. Colleen believes that nurses, given the right support, can change the world. Colleen holds a black belt in karate (JKA), is a cancer survivor, wife and mother to two teenagers. She is a dynamic speaker and motivator, encouraging hope in an uncertain world.

E-mail: colleen@vuseleladavis.com