Myths and Realities in Palliative/Hospice Care

A large study of the stress experienced by caregivers working with the critically ill and dying was undertaken. This paper presents a subsection of these data. The major sources of stress reported by hospice caregivers derived from their work environments and occupational roles and not from their work with dying patients and their families. Compared with other specialties, hospice workers reported fewer stressors and manifestations of stress and more coping strategies. Hospice caregivers interviewed in this study tended to be older than those in the other specialties. It is suggested that their increased professional maturity may have contributed to the decreased stress and increased coping mechanisms they reported.