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.KEY POINTSCompassion has two components: the feelings of caring for someone who is suffering, and the motivation to relieve that suffering.Compassion fatigue appears as symptoms that parallel post-traumatic stress disorders: hyperarousal; avoidance of stressful situations; and re-experiencing difficult events.Burnout has three components: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and feelings of ineffectiveness at work.Compassion fatigue and burnout are not inevitable, and can be prevented and treated.Interventions for clinicians are in an early phase of development and evidence quality, but are promising.