Open AccessConfronting Oncologists’ Emotions
Author(s) -
Granek Leeat
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the oncologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.176
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1549-490X
pISSN - 1083-7159
DOI - 10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0341
Subject(s) - medicine , palliative care , health professionals , health care , psychotherapist , nursing , economics , economic growth , psychology
The best and worst part of practicing oncology is the attachment to patients. Without this attachment, the work would be unbearable and unsatisfying. With this attachment, however, comes the pain of loss when patients die, suffer from a disabling loss of function, experience a “bad death,” or run into therapeutic failure. Health care professionals must begin to address this tension between attachment to patients and the pain it brings.