title: Compassion, compassion fatigue, and burnout: key insights for oncology professionals.
abstract: When cancer care clinicians become stressed, sad, isolated--and unaware of this--they are placing themselves at risk for burnout and their patients at risk for suboptimal care. Despite their best intentions, clinicians can sink from a healthy work state of compassion, empathy, and well-being into compassion fatigue and burnout. Lessons from first responders demonstrate the importance for clinicians to recognize the warning signs of compassion and fatigue and burnout, as this recognition can enable them to take action towards prevention and/or recovery. The recognition of these issues as a threat to clinician performance has outstripped the development of evidence-based interventions, but interventions tested to date are effective, feasible, and scalable. These interventions could be incorporated systematically into cancer care.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Oncology, University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA; Disaster Behavioral Health Response, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, NH; Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Back
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Oncology, University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA; Disaster Behavioral Health Response, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, NH; Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Deignan
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Oncology, University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA; Disaster Behavioral Health Response, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, NH; Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Potter
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D004645:Empathy; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008495:Medical Oncology; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D061214:Patient Safety; D010819:Physician's Role; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013997:Time Factors; D000078329:Workforce