From powerlessness to recognition the meaning of palliative care clinicians' experience of suffering.

Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being

Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Published: December 2020

AI Article Synopsis

  • Palliative care clinicians work with patients nearing the end of life, often experiencing their own suffering due to compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and burnout.
  • The study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the complex experiences of 21 specialized clinicians, identifying three key themes of suffering: 1) suffering as powerlessness, 2) suffering as non-recognition, and 3) easing suffering through the promise of recognition.
  • The findings suggest a need for supportive initiatives to promote recognition and well-being among palliative care clinicians at personal, professional, and institutional levels.

Article Abstract

Palliative care (PC) clinicians work alongside people who are at the end of their lives. These patients face death and suffering, which may also cause significant suffering for the PC clinicians themselves. Previous studies suggest that a significant number of PC professionals suffer from compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and burnout. However, very few studies have attempted to better understand the meaning of PC clinicians' lived experience of suffering in its complexity and intricacy. Drawing upon Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study aimed to explore the PC clinicians' experience of suffering from a phenomenological and existential perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-one specialized PC clinicians who were all part of the same multidisciplinary team. Interviews were analysed using IPA. The three emerging essential themes describing the meaning of clinicians' suffering were 1) Suffering as powerlessness; 2) suffering as non-recognition and 3) easing suffering: the promise of recognition. Result interpretation was based on Paul Ricoeur's existential phenomenology of suffering and recognition. The conclusion calls for support initiatives and interventions aimed at promoting recognition among PC clinicians on personal, professional, and institutional levels.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7717227PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2020.1852362DOI Listing

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