Navigating the Intangible: Working With Nonphysical Suffering on the Front Lines of Palliative Care

Abstract

While relieving suffering is palliative care’s primary aim, how palliative care providers navigate patients’ nonphysical suffering in their day-to-day work and the impact of working with nonphysical suffering on the clinician have been understudied. This exploratory study aims to begin to fill this gap in the literature. Results revealed that palliative care clinicians face several challenges in their efforts to navigate patients’ nonphysical suffering in their day-to-day work, including (a) the intangible nature of nonphysical suffering, (b) systemic barriers (e.g., lack of time and adequate resources), (c) clinician helplessness or suffering, and (d) a lack of education, training, and support for clinicians specific to their work with patients’ nonphysical suffering. Study outcomes have the potential to improve frontline clinical care with patients and support and education for clinicians.