Dealing with stress, burnout, and grief in the practice of oncology
1Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College of Virginia Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0230, USA. lyckholm@vcu.edu
Abstract:
There is a substantial amount of published work describing how to help patients and families deal with stress, grief, and loss, but there is much less advice available for clinicians dealing with similar issues. Working as an oncologist is inherently difficult, and racked by emotional and psychological traumas. However, it can also be tremendously rewarding. In this review, I discuss the extent of stress and burnout in the practice of oncology, its causes and manifestations, and strategies for overcoming it.
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