Exploring Compassion from the Perspective of Health Care Professionals Working in Palliative Care

Background: Despite the body of literature regarding the varying definition of compassion, there appears a lack of literature pertaining to the meaning of compassion from the perspective of health care professionals working in palliative care settings. Objective: The study aimed to explore how health care professionals working in palliative care settings view and/or understand the construct of compassion. Methods: A qualitative approach using semistructured interviews was used. Interviews were conducted with eighteen health care professionals working in pediatric, adult, and aged palliative care settings. Interviews transcripts were thematically analyzed. Results: Thematic analysis identified four main interrelated themes and supplementary subthemes. Health care professionals working in palliative care settings identified their perception of the (1) meaning of compassion, (2) importance of providing compassionate care, (3) barriers to providing compassionate care, and (4) facilitating compassionate care. Conclusions: This study presents a novel understanding of the components of compassion from the perspective of health care professionals working in palliative care. While there is need for future research, important areas of improvement include increased resourcing, reducing time pressures, and education within palliative care settings. This will enable the fostering of compassionate care to patients, as well as enhanced well-being both professionally and personally for health care providers delivering such care.