Factors Associated With Work Stress and Professional Satisfaction in Oncology Staff

Abstract

Cancer care professionals work in a stressful environment, but it is not clear what factors contribute to this stress. We surveyed 60 oncology personnel on an inpatient unit and a palliative care unit regarding levels of perceived work stress and its potential contributors. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictors of staff stress. A total of 63% of staff reported experiencing ;;a great deal'' of stress at work, which was predicted by greater perceived workload (odds ratio = 32.2; P < .0001), insufficient time to grieve patients' death (odds ratio = 9.75; P = .0007), lack of institutional support (odds ratio = 0.16; P = .009), perceived lack of resources (odds ratio = 0.06; P = .007), and lack of control over the choice of workplace (odds ratio = 0.10; P = .03). Measures to address work-related stress should be included in the planning of cancer programs.

How to Estimate Understanding: Professionals' Assessment of Loved Ones' Insight into a Patient's Fatal Disease

“…Cherlin and colleagues 9 stress that the discrepancy between what the doctors have said and what the loved ones have understood can hinder the assessment of loved ones' insight. Dougherty et al 14 show increased stress among professionals due to the difficulty of talking about serious subjects, which can influence assessment and highlights the need for training in the provision of difficult information. Being informed is a crucial support insight in a critical situation.…”

On the emotional connection of medical specialists dealing with death and dying: a qualitative study of oncologists, surgeons, intensive care specialists and palliative medicine specialists

“…Palliative medicine specialists have identified these same circumstances as stressors,7 and oncologists report that the lack of time to grieve after a patient's death can act as a work-related stressor 18. Alternatives for participants to find a balance, such as putting the emotional reaction into perspective, and experiencing emotions privately, may reaffirm the emotional nature of working with dying patients.…”

An Interview Study of Work- and Home-based Stressors in Radiation Therapists and Radiation Oncology Nurses: Implications for Provision of Psychotherapy Services to Cancer-care Health Professionals

“…Thus, the major sources of workplace stress reported by the two occupational groups may be seen as arising from factors over which they had little direct control. When the severity of these stressors (Tables 2 and 3) was also taken into account, it can be understood that the participants in this study were in the kind of "aversive and uncontrollable" stressor situation that has been associated with burnout in oncology staff [1,4]. Non-workplace stressors were generally the same across both sites and occupations, and focused on family issues, finances and health.…”

“…This is because of the caring and empathic relationship between the two parties as well as the potentially negative outcomes of cancer on patient health and relationships. As evidence of that suggestion, prolonged stress and burnout have been reported in oncology nurses (ONs) [1,2,3] and radiation therapists (RTs) [4]. Counsellors who offer their services to these cancer-care professionals may therefore expect to encounter high levels of staff stress and burnout related to patient care issues.…”

“…However, research into the stressors and coping responses of ONs has often been undertaken as part of larger studies investigating burnout among cancer workers [1,2,5]. The most commonly cited stressors reported in a pilot study of Australian ONs included poor interprofessional communication and work overload [6], and the highest stress intensity levels were associated with making mistakes in patient care, feeling unable to complete required patient-care tasks within allotted time frames, and patient illness and death issues.…”