- Title
- Risk of burnout, psychological growth, longevity of career and making sense of Covid-19 in senior Australian radiation oncologists
- Creator
- McCormack, Lynne; Falcioni, Dane; Lee, Yoo Young
- Relation
- Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences Vol. 70, Issue 4, p. 454-461
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmrs.698
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2023
- Description
- Introduction: Senior radiation oncologists in hospital/organisational settings, are repetitively and vicariously exposed to others' traumatic distress-perpetuating risk of burnout. Little is known of the additional organisational burdens of the Covid-19 pandemic on their mental well-being for career longevity. Methods: Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, semi-structured interviews provided positive and negative subjective interpreted data from five senior Australian radiation oncologists during Covid-19 lockdowns. Results: One superordinate theme, Vicarious risk, hierarchical invalidation, redefining altruistic authenticity, overarched four subordinate themes: (1) Vicarious contamination of caring, (2) The hierarchical squeeze, (3) The heavy burden of me and (4) Growth of authenticity. For these participants, juxtaposed challenges to career longevity and mental well-being were 'self' as empathic carer to vulnerable patients, and ever-increasing burdens of the organisation. Sensing invalidation, they experienced periods of exhaustion and disengagement. However, with experience and seniority, self-care was prioritised and nurtured through intrapersonal honesty, altruism and relational connectedness with patients and mentoring forward junior colleagues. Focusing on mutual well-being, a sense of life beyond radiation oncology became acceptable. Conclusions: For these participants, self-care became a relational joining with their patients separate from the lack of systemic support which heralded an early termination to their career for psychological well-being and authenticity.
- Subject
- altruistic integrity; interpretative phenomenological analysis; psychological well-being; radiation oncologists; vicarious trauma
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1494512
- Identifier
- uon:53814
- Identifier
- ISSN:2051-3895
- Rights
- x
- Language
- eng
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