Last week, we discussed the subject of compassion fatigue in the healthcare industry with Jessica Dale, a parent of a brain tumor survivor or “brain tumor mom” and expert on the subject.

This week, we discussed her personal experience as a parent of a child, that is now a young adult, survivor of a pediatric brain tumor. We asked for tips on how to avoid pitfalls that families of children and adolescents with special health care needs face.

Have you run into a doctor that just seemed to not care? Maybe you felt rushed, received difficult news in a less than empathetic manner or felt like you just aren’t being heard. What you could be experiencing is healthcare compassion fatigue. It is a mental health situation that occurs in healthcare providers in clinical settings to caregivers of loved ones with chronic conditions or special needs. It is a subject worth exploring both in how to manage it in a caregiver role and how to handle a situation where a healthcare professional just seems to lack interest while we are desperate for solutions.