CN41 - Comparison of professional quality of life, empathy and emotional intelligence in cancer health care professionals: A study of cancer nurses, radiation therapists and oncologists

Background

Professional Quality of Life, that is compassion satisfaction (CS) and compassion fatigue (CF), is experienced by cancer health care professionals (HCP) as they are exposed to the distress and suffering of patients with cancer. Cancer HCPs use both emotional and cognitive empathy and aspects of emotional intelligence in their interactions with patients. This study was the first to examine the relationships between professional quality of life, empathy and emotional intelligence, and compare these constructs between cancer nurses, radiation therapists and oncologists.

Methods

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine relationships between professional quality of life, empathy and trait emotional intelligence in cancer HCPs, and identify differences between nurses, radiation therapists and oncologists. Data collection involved a survey (n =122) and was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences-22®.

Results

The results revealed that levels of the CF subscale of secondary traumatic stress (STS) experienced by cancer HCPs were high (28%). High levels of emotional empathy were negatively correlated with CS and positively correlated with CF, whereas high levels of cognitive empathy were positively correlated with CS. High levels of trait emotional intelligence were positively correlated with CS and cognitive empathy, and negatively correlated with CF and emotional empathy. A difference in burnout levels, and levels of the emotional intelligence domain of self-control between the professions reached statistical significance.

Conclusions

Recommendations include the need for national policy to take into consideration the impact of working with cancer patients on STS levels of cancer HCPs in work-force planning. Additionally, clinicians and educators need to implement empathy and well-being strategies into practice and education initiatives, whilst considering specific professionals and demographics. These recommendations could assist in improving cancer health care professional’s professional quality of life.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

P. Hunt.

Funding

CARE Collaboration.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.