A Qualitative Study of a Compassion, Presence, and Resilience Training for Oncology Interprofessional Teams

Abstract

The well-being of health care providers may be challenged by their work, with evidence that oncology health care providers are a high-risk group for burnout. The present qualitative pilot study evaluated a mindfulness-based group intervention, referred to as Compassion, Presence, and Resilience Training (CPR-T), for oncology interprofessional teams. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the subjective experience of oncology health care providers receiving CPR-T and their perceptions of its benefits, risks, or challenges. The CPR-T was delivered to providers from two oncology teams in a large cancer center in Canada. Ten of these providers participated in semistructured interviews 1 to 5 months after completing the CPR-T. The interview transcripts were coded using a thematic analysis strategy. Five benefits of the CPR-T were identified: learning to pause, acquiring a working definition of stress and self-care, becoming fully present, building self-compassion, and receiving organizational acknowledgment and recognition of stress. In addition, two participant-identified challenges were recognized: sharing vulnerability within interprofessional teams and committing to a sitting meditation practice. These findings demonstrate positive transformations as a result of the CPR-T, as well as important challenges, and have important implications for holistic health care practice in oncology. Further research is necessary to validate the findings of this explorative study.