Table 1
Observations by palliative medicine fellows regarding the ambiguity of emotional connection depicted in ‘Talking to the family’
|
Compassion fatigue |
Empathy balanced with appropriate boundaries |
|---|---|
|
He’s ‘talking to,’ not ‘talking with,’ the family |
The white coat, symbolizing his professional role, protects him amidst emotional upheaval |
|
He is not listening to their response (‘Their voices will buzz’) |
White, the symbol of the family drama (shoes, dress, winter, milk), is reflected in his lab coat: he participates in the family drama |
|
He’s only acting (putting on, taking off the white coat) |
Wearing the white coat signifies the time to be actively present to the family |
|
The light bulb at home is metaphorically burned out—like him |
He actively replaces the light bulb |
|
After an emotional encounter, he goes home to something mundane |
After an emotional encounter, he is able to take care of himself professionally by moving on |