Confronting Oncologists’ Emotions

Granek, Leeat

doi:10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0341

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Caring for dying children and their families resulted in feelings of intimacy, satisfaction, and meaningfulness within these relationships for our PHCPs. Attachment or closeness with patients has been described as the “best and worst” parts of caregiving, as it often contributes both to feeling satisfied and to feeling intense grief, pain, and/or failure, and signals the importance of HCP awareness of their own emotional response to patients and to patient loss (Granek, 2015; Morgans & Schapira, 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

The emergence of personal growth amongst healthcare professionals who care for dying children

2017

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The emergence of personal growth amongst healthcare professionals who care for dying children

2017

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Morgans

Schapira

2015

The Oncologist

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We thank Granek for her thoughtful comments and for the opportunity to further highlight the importance of acknowledging oncologists' attachments to their patients in the clinician-patient relationship [1]. Each relationship we forge is unique, providing meaning in its own way for the physician and the patient. As Granek attests, these attachments are what give meaning to our work; witnessing the ups and downs of the unfolding stories of our patients is simultaneously a deep privilege and often a daunting challenge. We do this work because the journeys we share with our patients become a facet of our identities as physicians. Our relationships are often emotionally intense, but we can find a way to maintain them without feeling depressed [2].Granek also refers to the emotional labor of what we do as oncologists. We constantly engage in empathic behaviors and reactions to our patients and what they are experiencing, a process that constitutes emotional labor [3]. Strategies like SPIKES (setting, perception, invitation for information, knowledge, empathy, summarize and strategize) can be used to manage the burden of this labor and may be effective methods of averting the development of burnout among oncologists. We agree with Granek's assertion that it is also critical to provide education on the management of emotional burden to clinicians throughout the duration of their careers. We also propose that in addition to training clinicians in communication strategies, educational efforts must include mindfulness training and training in emotional self-regulation and self-awareness [4]. These efforts may reduce the development of burnout and enhance empathy, enabling physicians to be more effective at practicing medicine and enjoying professional satisfaction [3,4].Addressing the complications of caring for patients with cancer is a lifelong challenge for oncologists. Creating and maintaining a supportive culture means recognizing the stresses that stem from constant exposure to grief and loss and acknowledging our own feelings in this process. Education directed at all stages of professional development, from medical students to seasoned experts, can be a valuable mechanism by which clinicians can learn to carry the emotional burden of caring for patients through the entirety of a cherished career.

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