Climbing Everest: Oncology Work as an Expedition in Caring

Abstract

This study reports findings from 21 in-depth interviews with oncology clinicians (social workers, physicians, and nurses). Interviews addressed clinicians’ overall experiences of their work, including professional roles, teamwork, challenges and rewards of the work, and thoughts about whether oncology work changed their worldview. Researchers used an expedition metaphor to understand oncology clinicians’ experiences. An expedition and oncology work have in common a clear division of labor, the necessity of collaboration, intense work, significant obstacles, great rewards, and work that the world at large cannot tolerate undertaking. Understanding the experiences of oncology health professionals is essential in attracting and retaining dedicated clinicians and in helping them mitigate the potential deleterious effects of their work, such as compassion fatigue. Additionally, the expedition metaphor itself is compelling; it highlights the breadth of experiences of oncology clinicians, particularly that successful multidisciplinary teamwork in itself can ameliorate compassion fatigue.