Reducing the “cost of caring” in cancer care: Evaluation of a pilot interprofessional compassion fatigue resiliency programme

Abstract

Compassion fatigue (CF) is a combination of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Empathy becomes depleted among professional caregivers due to repeated exposure to emotional pain. Negative effects include decreased general wellbeing, impaired caregiver health and diminished team functioning. Intervention is needed to support caregiver quality of life and team relationships in high-stress work environments. This pilot study evaluated the impact of a pilot CF resiliency (CFR) programme on interprofessional staff at a regional cancer centre. An embedded experimental mixed-methods design was employed to evaluate a 6-week formalised CFR intervention. We measured CF satisfaction, burnout, clinical stress and silencing responses pre- and post-intervention. Focus group and individual interviews were conducted mid-programme and at end-programme completion to understand participants' views about how the programme affected their experiences of CF. Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed separately and merged to produce the overall findings. Participants reported reduced clinical stress at programme completion (t = 3.5; p = .005). This finding may be explained by participants' ability to identify signs and symptoms of CF and engage in self-care and mindfulness activities. Further larger studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of CFR programmes on caregiver and organisational wellbeing.

Prevalence of burnout syndrome in oncology nursing: A meta‐analytic study

“…54 Low PA is 10% higher in nurses 29 compared with oncologists, which may be because this same empathy and greater patient contact produces a negative effect when a patient dies, leading nurses to feel that their work is inadequate, and possibly even to contemplate their own death. 55,56 Although cancer survival rates have significantly increased in the last years, 57 Comparing to other units, such as palliative care, working in oncology seems to be a greater risk for burnout development, as lower prevalence rates of EE, D, and low PA have been found in other studies. 61 By contrast, in comparison to nurses working in accident and emergency units, 30,62 EE and D are lower in oncology nurses.…”

“…Low PA is 10% higher in nurses compared with oncologists, which may be because this same empathy and greater patient contact produces a negative effect when a patient dies, leading nurses to feel that their work is inadequate, and possibly even to contemplate their own death . Although cancer survival rates have significantly increased in the last years, cancer remains one of the biggest causes of premature adult death and one of the leading causes of death in the world (8.2 millions deaths in 2012) …”

Outcomes of art therapy and coloring for professional and informal caregivers of patients in a radiation oncology unit: A mixed methods pilot study

“…A cancer diagnosis can be devastating for not just the patient, but also their families. Caring for cancer patients is a particularly stressful type of caregiving for both informal caregivers such as family members (Catlin et al, 2016;Spatuzzi et al, 2017) and oncology professionals who have high rates of secondary traumatic stress and burnout (Pfaff et al, 2017;Wentzel and Brysiewicz, 2017). Family members need to deal with the emotional trauma of the potential loss of their loved one while also dealing with the stresses of treatment, any associated financial concerns, and possible additional caregiving responsibilities.…”

The epidemic of compassion fatigue

“…4 Schwartz rounds, supervision and education in self-care have been interventions that have shown reductions in compassion fatigue and burnout, and I believe should be encouraged for all medical staff across Australasian hospitals. [5][6][7] Schwartz rounds, as discussed in the aforementioned podcast, are forums for hospital staff to talk about the emotional and social challenges that can occur when caring for patients, and aim to increase compassion and teamwork. These sessions allow hospital staff to share their own emotions, which is a rarity in the hospital environment.…”

“…To avoid a recurrence of events such as those that occurred in Mid‐Staffordshire in the UK, where inadequate care (driven by poor staffing and low morale) led to innumerable avoidable deaths, we need to reignite our compassion . Schwartz rounds, supervision and education in self‐care have been interventions that have shown reductions in compassion fatigue and burnout, and I believe should be encouraged for all medical staff across Australasian hospitals . Schwartz rounds, as discussed in the aforementioned podcast, are forums for hospital staff to talk about the emotional and social challenges that can occur when caring for patients, and aim to increase compassion and teamwork.…”