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Oncology Team Resiliency

How To Build a Resilient Oncology Team

To help members of the cancer care team better manage stress and improve their overall well-being, ACCC 2021-22 President Krista Nelson—and several special guests—hosted a virtual Mindfulness Meditation series. Through meditation, we cultivate an awareness of the present moment and train the mind to better understand how and why we think and feel the way we do.
View Meditations

Results from Mini Z Burnout Survey

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To gauge the level of burnout in the multidisciplinary cancer care team, ACCC surveyed its membership in 2019 using the clinically validated Mini Z survey developed by the American Medical Association. While only a small number of respondents (14.9%) report dissatisfaction with their current job, burnout and stress levels are significant.

Download Survey Infographic

 

Cancer Buzz Podcast

  • [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 74: The Business Case for Hiring Oncology Social Workers
    Jan 18, 2022

    Hear from ACCC 2021-2022 President, Krista Nelson, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW, as she talks about two new resources (a business case brief for hiring and a benchmarking survey) coming from ACCC that demonstrate the value oncology social workers play in cancer care.

  • [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 71: Leading with Gratitude
    Nov 23, 2021

    In this special podcast episode, we talk with oncology social worker and ACCC President Krista Nelson, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW, about finding opportunities to practice gratitude each day for colleagues and patients.   

  • [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 68: Supportive Care in Radiation Oncology
    Sep 21, 2021
    Early in the pandemic, members of the Stanford Health Care Radiation Oncology Department created an internal podcast for their department to creatively address the need for connections among onsite and remote staff, acknowledge the emotional and psychological toll of caring for patients during this challenging time, and support the well-being and mental health for oncology staff.
  • [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 67: Coping with Pandemic Grief
    Sep 14, 2021
    In this special podcast episode, we talk with oncology social worker and ACCC President Krista Nelson, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW, about the overwhelming grief of the pandemic and its toll on cancer care professionals.  
  • [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 64: A Summer of Disconnect for Cancer Professionals
    Jul 20, 2021
    In this episode, we focus on the mental and emotional toll that COVID-19 continues to have on cancer care professionals—while much of the public experiences a “summer of joy” due to rising vaccinations.
  • [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 14: COVID-19 Self-Care
    Mar 31, 2020

    Krista Nelson, ACCC President 2021-22, shares self-care resources for cancer team members during the COVID-19 outbreak and guides us through a brief mindfulness exercise.

  • [PODCAST] Ep 02: Fostering Cancer Care Team Resiliency & Well-Being
    Jul 31, 2019
    Learn how organizations like Vidant Health and The Outer Banks Hospital are creating a healthier, more rewarding workplace by making employee wellness a strategic priority.

From the ACCCBuzz Blog

Burnout Defined


June 06, 2019
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This post continues ACCC’s ongoing conversation on how mitigate burnout and foster well-being and resilience among all staff involved in the delivery of cancer care.

Besides the common understanding of burnout as a workplace phenomenon, the criteria for being “burned out” can vary widely. What one person calls burnout another may view as run-of-the-mill workplace stress.

While there have been many attempts to define burnout over the years, a mutually agreed upon definition remains elusive. Merriam-Webster defines burnout as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.” The Mayo Clinic has called it “a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” Some academic and mainstream reports and surveys on the topic assume a common understanding of the word rather than defining it explicitly.

At the end of May, the World Health Organization (WHO) took its turn by announcing it had revised its previous definition of burnout as a "state of vital exhaustion" to a more explicit, nuanced definition. This new definition will appear in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which will go into effect 2022. WHO refers to burnout as a “syndrome” caused by “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” WHO assigns three characteristics to burnout:

  • feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
  • increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job
  • reduced professional efficacy

WHO’s revised definition explicitly states that burnout is a workplace phenomenon and “should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.” Because this definition articulates and enumerates burnout’s symptoms, it may give this workplace phenomenon more legitimacy, perhaps opening doors for people to get the professional help they need. 

This may be of particular importance to clinicians and allied healthcare professionals, who repeatedly report experiencing more burnout than others. When ACCC surveyed its membership earlier this year, approximately 33 percent of respondents said they are “definitely burning out,” while nearly 16 percent said their symptoms of burnout “won’t go away.”

Other surveys have also uncovered high burnout rates in the healthcare community. In a recently released survey of 5,000 physicians by the American Medical Association, nearly 44 percent said they had at least one symptom of burnout in 2017. In comparison, 28 percent of all U.S. workers report burnout symptoms.

Concern over growing rates of burnout among U.S. clinicians has captured national attention in recent years, and in 2017 resulted in the launch of the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience. This network of more than 60 organizations, including ACCC, is committed to reversing trends in clinician burnout. 

As a multidisciplinary organization, ACCC recognizes that caring for patients can take a physical and emotional toll on all members of the multidisciplinary oncology care team, from the front desk staff who greets patients to the physician who treats them. In a 2013 survey cited in the Annals of Family Medicine, of 508 employees working for 243 healthcare employers, 60 percent reported burnout, and 34 percent said they planned to look for a different job.

Time will tell whether the new ICD-11 definition of burnout will affect its perception and diagnosis among healthcare professionals. But having an explicit, detailed definition can definitely enhance the ongoing conversation about how we can better care for our caregivers.

From Oncology Issues

Building a Resilient Oncology Team: Issues and Solutions

Burnout is on the rise as oncology becomes increasingly complex with new treatment options, growing financial toxicity, an aging patient population, and an increasingly burdensome healthcare system. It has received much media attention, with some calling it an epidemic.

Thomas A. Gallo, MS, MDA, ACCC President, selected his 2018–2019 president’s theme: Reflect, Renew, Reignite: Creating a Resilient Oncology Team in Your Community, in order to shed light on the pain points that frustrate physicians, nurses, social workers, administrators, pharmacists, and all of the other professionals who collaborate to provide the highest level of patient care.

The ACCC 35th National Oncology Conference, October 17 – 19, in Phoenix, AZ, featured stories and strategies for fostering resilience and a healthcare culture that mitigates burnout among all members of the cancer care team. Three featured speakers inspired while providing practical strategies to help increase engagement, transform your work culture, and embrace experimentation. 

6 essential standards for a healthy work environment

ACCC is committed to identifying shared strategies and solutions to help combat the burnout and frustration that many of its members experience. This Building a Resilient Oncology Team: Issues and Solutions infographic details key findings on clinician burnout and a bevy of solutions to help you mitigate stress and bring the joy back to your workplace. 
Download as PDF
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