For the Living: Coping, Caring and Communicating with the Terminally Ill

by Mark Golubow

Overview

Rarely heard about in our society are caregivers' thoughts and feelings about life, death, and dying and how they act on those feelings. "For the Living: Coping, Caring and Communicating with the Terminally Ill" provides an in-depth, qualitative look at the experiences of oncology healthcare professionals as they work with terminally ill patients. Through a series of recorded and edited interviews, the author explores the social and cultural dynamics that affect physicians, nurses, and social workers routinely encountering mortality and loss. What death and the prospect of dying mean to these individuals should not be taken lightly.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781351844321
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/26/2018
Series:	Death, Value and Meaning Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	553 KB

About the Author

Mark Golubow

Table of Contents

Prologue       

SECTION ONE: Oncology Healthcare Professionals

 CHAPTER 1  Social Workers  
Two oncology social worker’s present their experiences with people who have cancer.
 
 CHAPTER 2  Nurses  
Three oncology nurses chronicle their thoughts, feelings and lives.

 CHAPTER 3  Doctors    
Oncology physicians provide rare insight into their motivation and emotions as they treat cancer patients.
 
SECTION TWO: A Symbolic Interactionist Look at Death and Dying

 Overview of Symbolic Interactionism     
This section offers an in-depth theoretic interpretation of the oncology healthcare professional’s experiences and actions, within the sociological theory of symbolic interactionism.

 CHAPTER 4  Acts of the Self
The interplay between perception, judgment, and identity formation are discussed within the context of oncology healthcare professionals and their dealings with distinct death-related experiences.

 CHAPTER 5  Acts of Coping
The focus of this chapter centers on the critical interrelated acts of coping and identity formation, while illustrating the possible meanings and motives behind specific acts of coping by several healthcare professionals.

 CHAPTER 6  Acts of Communication
The relationship that exists between the oncology healthcare professional and patient and the usage of disclosure, metaphor and euphemism are discussed.

Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

4 Stars! from Doody

Golubow (a doctoral student in communications at Rutgers U.) presents, in their original, unedited form, the interviews he conducted. Professionals in oncology, whether doctors, nurses, and social workers, will be the best audience for these personal meditations by their peers on the human factor of their experiences working with a deadly disease. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Reviewer: Lisa Stepp, PhD, RN, APN, AOCN, CRNH (Private Practice)
Description: As a general rule our daily activities are centered around the avoidance of our own mortality. However, each one of us finds our own path to death. With this in mind, individuals make decisions and deal with life.
Purpose: The main focus is to give the reader a window of observation into the communication and behavioral processes of healthcare professionals dealing with terminally ill clients.
Audience: This book is designed for healthcare professionals involved in end of life care. By incorporating both case studies and theoretical analysis, the author provides readers an opportunity to reevaluate their own practice.
Features: The interconnection between life and death has been explored countless times in literature. Classic poems and epics, as well as scientific publications, have explored this symbiotic relationship. In section one of this book, the author explores the effect of death on life through case studies devoid of academic interpretations. Section two provides an in-depth analysis of reasoning and motivations found in terminal care. As Kubler-Ross some 20 years ago found great value in patient interviews to better understand death and dying, the author also uses this method to paint a picture of where we are today in hospice care.
Assessment: This book gives the reader an opportunity for self exploration, which is crucial for clinicians to maintain focus when providing end of life care.

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