The Experience of Compound Loss Within the Hospice Team

There are numerous studies regarding compassion fatigue for caregivers of the terminally ill, however few focus upon the experience of the paid caregivers – the hospice team. Employee turnover rates in hospice and palliative care have been reported to be as high as 30% within the first five years. Providing care to those at the end of life and their families is intimate work, and it is not uncommon for clinicians to foster bonds on this journey. Compassionate caregiving is at the crux of skillful clinicians which results in the unique challenge of coping with loss on a regular basis. Each patient death compounds the next, and though psychosocial clinicians frequently engage in tools of self-awareness drawn from their studies, it is not an emphasis in medical and nursing programs. This session will explore how hospice professionals incorporate the experiences of death into their personal and professional lives, how they develop resilience and set effective boundaries, and challenge the responsibilities of hospice agencies in navigating compound loss on behalf of their employees.