Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T07:54:12.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Do factors of emotion-focussed patient care and communication impact job stress, satisfaction and burnout in radiation therapists?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2013

Justine Diggens  and
Therese Chesson
Justine Diggens*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Andrews Place, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Therese Chesson
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Therapy Services, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Andrews Place, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*
Correspondence to: Justine Diggens, Department of Clinical Psychology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Andrews Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Tel: ++61 3 96561440. Fax: ++61 3 96561095. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate levels and sources of job stress, job satisfaction and burnout experienced by radiation therapists (RTs) in an Australian cancer hospital, and determine the factors of emotion-focussed patient care and communication that contribute to RTs’ stress and burnout.

Methods

One hundred and thirteen RTs working in a dedicated cancer hospital in Australia completed a self-report questionnaire.

Results

Twelve percent of RTs reported job stress while 73·5% reported job satisfaction in their current work roles. Up to 19% of RTs experienced burnout as measured on the Maslach Burnout Inventory scales. Emotion-focussed care and communication with patients was found to have links with job stress and burnout, but also with job reward and satisfaction. A range of organisational, personal and support factors were associated with RTs’ experiences, including training and confidence in emotion-focussed patient communication.

Conclusion

Emotion-focussed care and patient communication contributes to both job stress and burnout, as well as job satisfaction. RTs’ experience of job stress, satisfaction or burnout are likely to vary according to a range of personal, demographic and organisational factors.

Keywords

burnoutcommunicationconfidencejob satisfactionjob stress
Type
Original Articles
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , March 2014 , pp. 4 - 17
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Halkett, G, Kristjanson, L. Patients’ perspectives on the role of radiation therapists. Patient Educ Couns 2007; 69: 76–83.Google Scholar
2.Halkett, G K, Merchant, S, Jiwa, Met al. Effective communication and information provision in radiotherapy—the role of radiation therapists. J Radiother Pract 2010; 9: 3–16.Google Scholar
3.Probst, H, Griffiths, S. Job satisfaction of therapy radiographers in the UK: results of a phase 1 qualitative study. Radiography 2009; 15: 146–157.Google Scholar
4.Grunfeld, E, Whelan, T J, Zitzelsberger, L, Willan, A R, Montesanto, B, Evans, W K. Cancer care workers in Ontario: prevalence of burnout, job stress and job satisfaction. Can Med Assoc J 2000; 163: 166–169.Google ScholarPubMed
5.Maslach, C, Jackson, S E, Leiter, M P. Maslach Burnout Inventory Manual, 3rd edition. Mountain View, CA: CPP Inc, 1996; 1–52.Google Scholar
6.Leiter, M, Maslach, C. The impact of interpersonal environment on burnout and organizational commitment. J Organ Behav 1988; 9: 297–308.Google Scholar
7.Omdahl, B L, O'Donnell, C. Emotional contagion, empathic concern and communicative responsiveness as variables affecting nurses’ stress and occupational committment. J Adv Nurs 1999; 29: 1351–1359.Google Scholar
8.Graham, J, Ramirez, A, Field, S, Richards, M. Job stress and satisfaction among clinical radiologists. Clin Radiol 2000; 55: 182–185.Google Scholar
9.Ramirez, A, Graham, J, Richards, M, Cull, A, Gregory, W. Mental health of hospital consultants: the effects of stress and satisfaction at work. Lancet 1996; 347: 724–728.Google Scholar
10.Trufelli, D, Bensi, C, Garcia, Jet al. Burnout in cancer preofessionals: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Eur J Cancer Care 2008; 17: 524–531.Google Scholar
11.Akroyd, D, Adams, R D. The cost of caring: a national study of burnout in radiation therapists. Radiat Ther 2000; 9: 123–130.Google Scholar
12.Ramirez, A, Graham, J, Richards, Met al. Burnout and psychiatric disorder among cancer clinicians. Br J Cancer 1995; 71: 1263–1269.Google Scholar
13.Rafnsdottir, G, Gunnarsdottir, H, Tomasson, K. Work organization, well-being and health in geriatric care. Work 2004; 22: 49–55.Google Scholar
14.Whippen, D, Canellos, G. Burnout syndrome in the practice of oncology: results of a random survey of 1000 oncologists. J Clin Oncol 1991; 9: 1916–1920.Google Scholar
15.Clarke, S P, Sloane, D, Aiken, L H. Effects of hospital staffing and organizational climate on needlestick injuries to nurses. Am J Pub Health 2002; 92: 1115–1119.Google Scholar
16.Morita, T, Akechi, T, Sugawara, Y, Chihara, S, Uchitomi, Y. Practices and attitudes of Japanese oncologists and palliative care physicians concerning terminal sedation: a nationawide survey. J Clin Oncol 2002; 20: 758–764.Google Scholar
17.Leiter, M P, Harvie, P, Frizzell, C. The correspondence of patience satisfaction and nurse burnout. Soc Sci Med 1998; 47: 1611–1617.Google Scholar
18.Vahey, D C, Aiken, L H, Sloane, D, Clarke, S P, Vargas, D. Nurse burnout and patient satisfaction. Med Care 2004; 42: 1157–1166.Google Scholar
19.Williams, E, Manwell, L, Konrad, T, Linzer, M. The relationship of organizational culture, stress, satisfaction, and burnout with physician-reported error and suboptimal patient care: results from the MEMO study. Health Care Manage Rev 2007; 32: 203–212.Google Scholar
20.West, C, Huschka, M, Novotny, Pet al. Association of perceived medical errors with resident distress and empathy: a prospective longitudinal study. J Am Med Assoc 2006; 296: 1071–1078.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Schaufeli, W, Enzmann, D. The Burnout Companion to Study and Practice: A Critical Analyses. London: Taylor and Francis, 1998.Google Scholar
22.Smoke, M, Sale, J E M. Is there a relationship between quality of work-life and personality type among radiation therapists? Can J Radiat Med Tech 2006; 37: 12–17.Google Scholar
23.Johnson, D, Roberts, C, Trotti, A, Harvey, M, Greenberg, M D. Professional satisfaction among radiation therapists: a regional survey. Radiat Ther 1998; 7: 76–83.Google Scholar
24.Grunfeld, E, Zitzelsberger, L, Coristine, M, Whelan, T J, Aspelund, F, Evans, W K. Job stress and job satisfaction of cancer care workers. Psychooncology 2005; 14: 61–69.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Sherman, A C, Edwards, D, Simonton, S, Mehta, P. Caregiver stress and burnout in an oncology unit. Palliat Supp Care 2006; 4: 65–81.Google Scholar
26.Girgis, A, Hansen, V, Goldstein, D. Are Australian oncology health professionals burning out? A view from the trenches. Eur J Cancer 2009; 45: 393–399.Google Scholar
27.Graham, J, Ramirez, A, Cull, A, Finlay, I, Hoy, A, Richards, M. Job stress and satisfaction among palliative physicians. Palliat Med 1996; 10: 185–194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28.Escot, C, Artero, S, Grandubert, C, Boulanger, J, Ritchie, K. Stress levels in nursing staff working in oncology. Stress and Health 2001; 17: 273–279.Google Scholar
29.Taylor, C, Graham, J, Potts, H, Richards, M, Ramirez, A. Changes in mental health of UK hospitals consultants since the mid-1990s. Lancet 2005; 366: 742–744.Google Scholar
30.Sharma, A, Sharp, D M, Walker, L G, Monson, J R T. Stress and burnout in colorectal and vascular surgical consultants working in the UK National Health Service. Psychooncology 2008; 17: 570–576.Google Scholar
31.Travado, L, Grassi, L, Gil, F, Ventura, C, Martins, C. Physician-patient communication among Southern European cancer physicians: the influence of psychosocial orientation and burnout. Psychooncology 2005; 14: 661–670.Google Scholar
32.Delvaux, N, Razavi, D, Marchal, S, Brédart, A, Farvacques, C, Slachmuylder, J. Effects of a 105 hours psychological training program on attitudes, communication skills and occupational stress in oncology: a randomised study. Br J Cancer 2004; 90: 106–114.Google Scholar
33.Shimizu, T, Mizoue, T, Kubota, S, Mishima, N, Nagata, S. Relationship between burnout and communication skill training among Japanese hospital nurses: a pilot study. J Occup Health 2003; 45: 185–190.Google Scholar
34.Butow, P, Cockburn, J, Girgis, Aet al. Increasing oncologists’ skills in eliciting and responding to emotional cues: evaluation of a communication skills training program. Psychooncology 2008; 17: 209–218.Google Scholar
35.Bragard, I, Libert, Y, Etienne, Aet al. Insight on variables leading to burnout in cancer physicians. J Cancer Educ 2010; 25: 109–115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36.Turner, J, Clavarino, A, Butow, Pet al. Enhancing the capacity of oncology nurses to provide supportive care for parents with advanced cancer: evaluation of an educational intervention. Eur J Cancer 2009; 45: 1798–1806.Google Scholar
37.Fujimori, M, Oba, A, Koike, Met al. Communication skills training for Japanese oncologists on how to break bad news. J Cancer Educ 2003; 18: 194–201.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
38.Maslach, C, Jackson, S E, Leiter, M P. Maslach Burnout Inventory Manual, 3rd edition. Mountain View, CA: CPP Inc, 1996: 1–52.Google Scholar
39.Victoria Cancer Council & National Breast Cancer Centre. Eliciting and Responding to Emotional Cues—Participant's Workshop Manual. Carlton, Victoria: Cancer Council Victoria, 2007.Google Scholar
40.Elit, L, Trim, K, Mand-bains, I, Sussman, J, Grunfeld, E. Job satisfaction, stress, and burnout among Canadian gynaecologica oncologists. Gynaecol Oncol 2004; 94: 134–139.Google Scholar
41.Lopez-Castillo, J, Gurpegui, M, Ayuso-Mateos, J, Duna, J, Catalan, J. Emotional distress and occupational burnout in health care professionals serving HIV-infected patients: a comparison with oncology and internal medicine services. Psychother Psychosom 1999; 68: 348–356.Google Scholar
42.Poulsen, M, Poulsen, A, Khan, A, Poulsen, E, Khan, S. Work engagement in cancer workers in Queensland: the flip side of burnout. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2011; 55: 425–432.Google Scholar
43.Bragard, I, Etienne, A, Libert, Yet al. Predictors and correlates of burnout in residents working with cancer patents. J Cancer Educ 2010; 25: 120–126.Google Scholar