Coping Strategies

Autonomous care practices helped professionals uphold patient dignity and reduce suffering. Self-protective strategies helped preserve function and well-being. Active coping was more common among low-burnout nurses than high-burnout nurses. Older participants reported that memories of being medically vindicated reduced self-doubt over time. Most participants who lost trust in a clinician said it could never be regained, though a few clinicians rebuilt trust by admitting mistakes and listening. A specific McDonald's meal is described as providing temporary anxiety relief despite being unhealthy. Better coping skills in cancer patients are associated with improved quality of life and reduced depression. Stronger self-efficacy for tolerating or alleviating pain with coping support was associated with longer pain endurance. Strangers and clinicians who were already distrusted could not effectively reassure participants. Nurses generally preferred constructive coping strategies over avoidance-based strategies. Healthcare professionals used deliberate and unconscious strategies that changed over time. External validation only countered self-doubt when it came from trusted people with su…