Survival bonding: a response to stress and work with AIDS

There is ample literature describing the ongoing stressors and tremendous emotional impact on health care professionals caring for patients with AIDS. This paper is a report of a research study which explored collegial relationships and staff retention to determine factors that reduced staff burnout. The study explored an observed phenomenon of pairing among staff members of various disciplines, working with patients with AIDS, in a tertiary care hospital. The authors called this phenomenon "survival bonding." These informal but intense relationships offered staff a mutually supportive environment which reduced their anxiety, stress, and helped prevent burnout. Given the growing volume of HIV infected persons, and the increased work load of many health care professionals in the aids field, it is important to understand the complex emotional and social support needs of staff to prevent burnout and to improve staff recruitment and retention.