Hidden costs of critical care

Introduction: The suicide rate for health professionals is higher than for people working in many other occupations in Australia and overseas. Critical care is an area where doctors and nurses are repeatedly exposed to trauma and end-stage disease. Critical care physicians and nurses are at high risk of burnout and compassion fatigue. This is important as compassion fatigue may affect health professionals’ health, wellbeing and safety but also the quality of care they deliver. Effective interventions are required to support this vulnerable group, to ensure safety of practitioners and their patients.