The core theoretical construct underlying peer support has been described by Mead and MacNeil: "In general, peer support has been defined by the fact that people who have like experiences can better relate and can consequently offer more authentic empathy and validation.
If we don't think of them as experiencing the same rich inner life that we do; don't imagine them feeling things in the same way that we do, then we lose some measure of our empathy for them, and consequently our sense of ethical obligation.
He never lost his kindness and enormous empathy for other people, and consequently his ability to draw forth the same, despite years of drinking laudanum.
Consequently many health professionals have learned to shed their empathy and compassion when they don their white coats.
Third, empathy and burnout were self-reported and consequently are subject to bias, such as social desirability.
These authors concluded that consequently, nurses respond to such patients with anger, social distance, less empathy, and more negative emotions and attitudes.
It is morally distressing, with a high opportunity cost and, consequently, a high human cost: Genuinely decent, loving people who seek to serve Goodness are having their precious empathy and compassion channeled into activities that range from exploitative to merely inefficient or insensitive.
