Pediatric palliative care and surgery
pediatric palliative care; pediatric surgery; Chronic illness; surgical palliative care
Care for pediatric patients with serious or potentially life-limiting illness involves the interplay of multiple medical and surgical teams within the hospital. Pediatric surgeons are capable of performing procedures that can improve the quality of life for children facing serious illness, but which also carry the potential for significant risk and burden. Patients and families are often faced with decisions about invasive surgical procedures and interventions, stressing the need for seamless collaboration between palliative care and surgical providers. Equally important is the need for clear and open-ended communication with patients and families by all medical teams to determine if potential surgical procedures and interventions align with their goals and to ensure that the perceived benefits of interventions outweigh any risks. Over the last two decades, pediatric palliative care has grown into a thriving medical subspecialty Despite the importance of collaborative care, there is lack of literature on the interaction of pediatric surgery and palliative care and the role of pediatric surgeons in providing primary palliative care. This review defines surgical pediatric palliative care, and provides an in-depth discussion of the unique complexities involved in caring for children with serious and potentially life-limiting illness, while highlighting specific challenges through detailed case presentations.
Ott KC; Vente TM; Lautz TB; Waldman ED
Annals of Palliative Medicine
2021
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.21037/apm-20-2370" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.21037/apm-20-2370</a>
A cross-sectional pilot study of compassion fatigue (CF), burnout (BO), and compassion satisfaction (CS) in pediatric palliative care (PPC) providers in the United States
Fatigue; Palliative Care; Pilot Projects; United States; burnout; pediatric palliative care; Cesarean Section; Compassion fatigue; compassion satisfaction
OBJECTIVE: Compassion fatigue (CF) is secondary traumatic distress experienced by providers from contact with patients' suffering. Burnout (BO) is job-related distress resulting from uncontrollable workplace factors that manifest in career dissatisfaction. Compassion satisfaction (CS) is emotional fulfillment derived from caring for others. The literature on BO in healthcare providers is extensive, whereas CF and CS have not been comprehensively studied. Because of ongoing exposure to patient and family distress, pediatric palliative care (PPC) providers may be at particular risk for CF. We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study of CF, BO, and CS among PPC providers across the United States. METHOD: The Compassion Fatigue and Satisfaction Self-Test for Helpers and a questionnaire of professional and personal characteristics were distributed electronically and anonymously to PPC physicians and nurses. Logistic and linear regression models for CF, BO, and CS as a function of potential risk factors were constructed. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 39%, primarily consisting of female, Caucasian providers. The prevalence of CF, BO, and CS was 18%, 12%, and 25%, respectively. Distress about a "clinical situation," physical exhaustion, and personal loss were identified as significant determinants of CF. Distress about "coworkers," emotional depletion, social isolation, and "recent involvement in a clinical situation in which life-prolonging activities were not introduced" were significant determinants of BO. Physical exhaustion, personal history of trauma, "recent involvement in a clinical situation in which life-prolonging activities were not introduced," and not discussing distressing issues were significant predictors of lower CS scores. Significance of results CF and BO directly influence the well-being and professional performance of PPC providers. To provide effective compassionate care to patients, PPC providers must be attentive to predictors of these phenomena. Further work is needed to explore additional causes of CF, BO, and CS in PPC providers as well as potential interventions.
Kase SM; Waldman ED; Weintraub AS
Palliative and Supportive Care
2018
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1017/s1478951517001237" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1017/s1478951517001237</a>