Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Health
compassion
crying at the work place
doctors
empathy
physicians
University of Tilburg
Wednesday, 9 December 2015 - 08:51
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Half of doctors break down in tears at work

Almost half of Dutch doctors sometimes cry in the workplace, a quarter of them even do so in front of a patient, according to a survey done by the University of Tilburg among 776 Dutch doctors. The results were published in medical magazine Medisch Contact on Wednesday. Half of female doctors and a quarter of male doctors cried at work at least once this year, the survey found. A quarter of all the respondents cried in front of the patient this year. The doctors feel uncomfortable when this happens, and would rather that it not, but colleagues and patients usually show sympathy. Most of the doctors indicated that when a doctor cries in front of the patient, it does not make him a bad doctor, but it is better to give another emphatic reaction. Among patients, the opinions are more divided. Half of the questioned patients thought it inappropriate and 41 percent thought it shows empathy and compassion. The most common reasons for a doctor to cry at work is because of a patient's touching story or suffering. It sometimes also happens that a doctor breaks down in tears because of personal circumstances or the daily workload.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Council of State advises against criminalizing gay conversion therapy
  • Cabinet may use Lelystad Airport, empty churches to shelter asylum seekers & refugees
  • More hospitals, cybersecurity firm also targeted in pro-Russia cyberattack
  • Parliamentary inquiry on Groningen gas earthquakes didn't restore locals trust in gov't
  • Amsterdam to Barcelona night train wins support from European Commission
  • Four men convicted in 1985 gas station cashier murder may have made false confessions

Top stories

  • Cabinet may use Lelystad Airport, empty churches to shelter asylum seekers & refugees
  • Netherlands named 8th least corrupt nation in annual review, but issues remain
  • Dutch human rights institute critical of “disproportionate” arrest of climate protesters
  • Regions outside Randstad against limiting international students
  • Rutte, Macron and Biden not yet ready to give Ukraine F-16 jets
  • Housing construction at highest level in decade; Still 26% below gov't target

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content