IPS ABSTRACT 2018

Compassion Fatigue: What is it and how does it influence our relationship with Nonhuman Primates in Captivity.

Sally Thompson-Iritani, Rita Bellanca, Jane Elliott, Anthony Gray and J Preston Van Hooser

Washington National Primate Research Center* & University of Washington 

There are many positive and rewarding interactions that personnel have when caring for Nonhuman Primates (NHPs) in captivity.  There are also conflicting feelings and exhaustion when our work is strained by limited resources, the stress of making end of life decisions, dealing with conflicting priorities, negotiating care with colleagues and understanding the normal dynamics of NHPs in their native social environments.  The term used for this type of complex emotional conflict and exhaustion is ‘Compassion fatigue’.  Compassion fatigue is a combination of physical, emotional and psychological depletion associated with working and caring for animals and their well-being in a captive environment.  The Washington National Primate Research Center at the University of Washington has developed a Compassion Fatigue Program: Dare to Care (D2C).  This program emphasizes self-care and helps personnel identify stress factors and work towards a personal solution to relieve stress.  At an institutional level, we have increased communications around euthanasia time points, identified individuals that affected personnel can talk to, implemented community events that reflect the positive aspects of our work, improved the physical workplace environment and provided an outlet for personnel to express their feelings via the written word or artistically.  Here we will share the importance of identifying compassion fatigue and provide tools and coping strategies for improving the work environment and subsequently the relationship with and care of the animals and the people. 

* The WaNPRC is supported by grant P51 OD010425 from the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure  

Programs.