Praise for Past Editions

"This book is a vital read for individuals and the collective nursing profession… I encourage those who are concerned about the collective nursing profession, about what nurse educators are teaching students, about healthcare's high staff turnover and poor patient quality outcomes to consider reading and using this book." - M. R. Morrow, RN, PhD., Nursing Science Quarterly

"This book addresses the issue that all nurses eventually face at one time or another in their career, a loss of passion. The author takes readers on a journey to recapture their passion...Every nurse should read this book." -V. Hedderick, Doody's Review Service

As relevant today as it was when the first edition was published in 2012--likely even more so after the devastation of COVID 19--Dr. Todaro-Franceschi delves deeper into issues surrounding professional quality of life (PQOL) for nurses and the intricate connection to caliber of care and healthcare outcomes. She offers new insights on compassion fatigue, burnout, moral distress, caring for the dying, PTSD, and workplace bullying and violence noting that while the COVID-19 pandemic has grossly exacerbated existing problems in the workplace it has also created a "perfect storm" for nurses to regain a sense of the meaning and purpose of their work.

Written by an acknowledged expert in end-of-life education, professional quality of life, and clinical leadership, this book will help empower nurses so that they can create a healthier, more compassionate work environment. Supported by research but written from a holistic and personal perspective, the text includes real-life examples, strategies, and exercises that will help readers to identify negative patterns and explore ways to recapture the joy in their work lives.

New to the Third Edition:

• Integrates the impact of COVID-19 on the nursing profession throughout
• Provides new information on enhancing PQOL for nurses
• Includes new real-life examples from multiple nursing disciplines

Key Features:

• Articulates an ethic of care developed from a transdisciplinary perspective
• Offers a framework--the ART^© model, for mindful healing, living and working
• Shares real-life examples from critical care, end-of-life, oncology, and other clinical areas
• Provides a template for nurses, nurse educators and leaders to address critical issues affecting nursing workforce health, happiness and the work environment
• Includes a Nurse Leaders Resource Toolkit to assist staff with improving PQOL

Foreword Nessa Coyle, RN, ACHPN, PhD, FAAN

Preface

PART I: PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE

Chapter 1: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Professional Quality of Life

Chapter 2: Transforming Both Health and Care in Healthcare

PART II: UNITY, PURPOSE, AND THE GOOD: AN ETHIC OF CARING

Chapter 3: Compassion and Contentment: Being Heartful and Happy at Work

Chapter 4: Values and Excellences in Nursing

Chapter 5: The ART of Reaffirming Purpose: A Healing Model for Carers

PART III: THE BAD: COMPASSION FATIGUE AND MORAL DISTRESS

Chapter 6: Compassion Fatigue: A Heavy Heart Hurts

Chapter 7: Moral Distress: I Know What I Ought to Do!

PART IV: THE UGLY, UGLIER, AND UGLIEST: BURNOUT AND WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Chapter 8: Burnout: Feeling Empty-Hearted and Disheartened

Chapter 9: Bullying and Incivility in Nursing: An Oxymoron

PART V: FACING DEATH

Chapter 10: Being Prepared to Care for the Dying

Chapter 11: Collective Trauma and Healing in Healthcare: Aching, Breaking Hearts

PART VI: BEATING THE ODDS

Chapter 12: Changing the Mindset in Nursing Education

Chapter 13: Cultivating Collective Mindful Awareness in Nursing: A Leadership Agenda

Chapter 14: Imagining and Actualizing the Power of Nursing

Appendix A ProQOL Tool for Self-Assessment of PQOL

Appendix B PPACD Tool for Preparedness and Ability to Care for the Dying

Appendix C Resources

Appendix D Nurse Leader Resource Kit

Index