How palliative care professionals develop coping competence through their career: A grounded theory

This episode features Dr Maria Arantzamendit, (Universidad de Navarra, Institute for Culture and Society-ATLANTES Global Observatory of Palliative Care, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. IdISNA-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra. Medicina PaliativaK).

What is already known about the topic?

• Palliative care professionals use coping strategies to deal with the emotional challenges of their work.
• Coping skills are essential for professionals to stay and remain in palliative care.

What this paper adds?

• A grounded theory of a five-phase transformative process through which palliative care professionals develop coping capacity and evolve from a phase of emotional contention toward one of care based on inner balance and a transcendent perspective.
• Key factors influencing the development process are some clinical cases, teamwork, and selfcare.
• The study shares how the sensations of feeling overwhelmed can sometimes be reversed as professionals come to understand how to care for themselves.

Implications for practice, theory, or policy

• The model may help palliative care professionals to understand how they can develop their coping skills.
• This study emphasizes the role of certain team mates from close teams as influential in developing coping skills.
• Institutional support and recognition for the work of palliative care professionals is important in the coping process.

Full paper available from:    

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02692163241229961

This podcast is available in other languages - see below:

SPANISH: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P088hWpeej3amYKeNoXNoigeHP4sIl3k/view?usp=sharing

PORTGUESE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P25tKjGvITEqovNeeBgD-2PuDC8jEcHW/view?usp=sharing

VASQUE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P8maXlqHyGPuENRKzaIbRVR6NnUqoydE/view?usp=drive_link

If you would like to record a podcast about your published (or accepted) Palliative Medicine paper, please contact Dr Amara Nwosu: 

a.nwosu@lancaster.ac.uk