Certified Extremely Low Birth Weight (C-ELBW) Practice Exam

Compassion fatigue is kept at bay when you actively protect your own well-being through structured support and self-care. Regular supervision provides a space to reflect on difficult cases, process emotions, get feedback, and normalize reactions, which prevents stress from building up unchecked. Peer support offers a sense of connection, validation, and shared coping strategies, reducing isolation and helping you problem-solve in real time. Deliberate self-care means intentionally prioritizing activities that restore energy and resilience—adequate sleep, good nutrition, physical activity, boundaries around work time, relaxation practices, and pursuits outside of work. Together, these elements create a sustainable rhythm that preserves empathy and energy for ongoing caregiving. In contrast, approaches that ignore personal needs, pile on more work, or isolate you from coworkers remove the protective buffer and tend to worsen fatigue and burnout.