Health workers faced with death: The influence of training on the language employed in the passage from life to death

Endrizzi, Cristina; Bastita, Roberta; Palella, Mirella; Cossino, Paola; D’Amico, Gabriella

doi:10.1080/17432979.2014.897999

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…It is known that in care team, this psychological pressure might result in physicians acting inappropriately [40,41] before considering the need to understand the meaning of what is being observed. We agree that more training needs to be provided to physicians and palliative care teams [42].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflection on Palliative Sedation for Existential Distress. It is Possible to Tolerate the Incomprehensible?

Endrizzi¹,

Palella²,

Ghelleri³

et al. 2017

Highlights on Several Underestimated Topics in Palliative Care

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The diiculty of making decisions in end of life is the subject of these relections through two clinical cases. We considered the question of palliative sedation for existential distress through a phenomenological approach, focusing the relationship between a patient's clinical history and the reactions of the care team to the existential distress of the patients. We chose to introduce a concept, dynamic projective identiications, which is a powerful mechanism for communication between human beings. The hypothesis is that projective identiication works as a powerful mechanism of emotional contagion between people facing death, families, and their health workers. In the cases, however, the use of this therapeutic tool is not oriented to provide psychotherapeutic methods of supporting dying patients but to sustain the awareness of the care team in the decisionmaking process. The psychological pressure on the care team may lead physicians to act considering "what you already know". Being aware of these mechanisms can help physicians to understand the phenomena that are happening. Even if palliative sedation is the best therapy, the care team must clarify the meaning of the projective identiication and enter them into the low of communication with the patients and their families.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%