Caring for the Caregiver: Emotional Challenges of Pediatric Palliative Care Nurses

摘要: Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC) nurses provide quality-of-life for critically ill children. This paper looks at how PPC cope with caregiver emotions within the conceptual framework of emotional labor and intelligence. “Maybe this was just a lesson from life by tomorrow, tumor would miraculously disappear. I could only hope. That night, doctors sent us home rest, but after they told that our daughter had 135 days to live . .” (Desserich, 2009, p.8). quote is parent whose six-year-old diagnosed terminal brain cancer. have face patients families like these on daily basis. An average 56,000 children dies every year in United States (Browning & Solomon, 2005). who little chance survival (Liben, Papadatou, Wolfe, 2007). “Such care includes family extends into domains physical, psychological, social spiritual wellbeing” (p.1). Constant face-to-face contact between obliges suppress their true emotions. Suppressing difficult. Hochschild (1983) defines as putting an appropriate face, regardless actual emotion. Emotional intelligence described ability recognize express emotion, “assimilate emotion thought,” reflect regulate oneself others (Mayer, Salovey, Caruso, 2000, p. 396). professionals constant situations are risk overload (Sandgren, Thulesius, Fridlund, Petersson, 2006; Zander, Hutton, King, 2010). undergo extensive medical training, often lack psychological training 2005; Papadatou et al., 2002), leading stress burnout (Kedem Bagan, education palliative “sporadic fragmented” (Liben al.. 2007, 8). strong challenges when suffer, die, grieve. Labor: Three Perspectives There no established definition labor, three main perspectives around common theme individuals can adjust expressions settings. perhaps most well known focusing idea study showing airline attendants put happy all times, feelings, fulfill company's service requirements. emotion: requires one induce or feeling order sustain outward countenance produces proper state mind others—in case, sense being cared convivial safe place. kind calls coordination feeling, it sometimes draws source self we honor deep integral individuality. (Hochschild, 1983, 7)