Managing burnout in pediatric critical care: the human care commitment.

Burnout in social services professionals has been defined as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. The pediatric critical care nurse is especially vulnerable to this phenomenon when exposed to prolonged, chronic suffering of a patient. The rewarding aspect of caring for the critically ill child who recovers from significant affliction is not experienced when caring for the "chronic child." This article reviews the dynamics of chronicity in pediatric critical care and explores protective strategies for burnout management. Several of Jean Watson's carative factors that define her human care philosophy provide the conceptual framework for the approaches outlined.