title: Existential distress among healthcare providers caring for patients at the end of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Existential distress is well documented among patients at end of life (EOL) and increasingly recognized among informal caregivers. However, less information is known about existential concerns among healthcare providers working with patients at EOL, and the impact that such concerns may have on professionals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent literature documents five key existential themes for professionals working in EOL care: (1) opportunity for introspection; (2) death anxiety and potential to compromise patient care; (3) risk factors and negative impact of existential distress; (4) positive effects such as enhanced meaning and personal growth; and (5) the importance of interventions and self-care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EOL work can be taxing, yet also highly rewarding. It is critical for healthcare providers to make time for reflection and prioritize self-care in order to effectively cope with the emotional, physical, and existential demands that EOL care precipitates.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York bDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California cMedical Library, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pessin
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fenn
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hendriksen
authors.forename: Antonio P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: DeRosa
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Applebaum
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*