A leader in the Literature and medicine movement, Dr. Rita Charon spoke at the first Literature & Medicine national conference, “Caring for the Caregiver: Perspectives on Literature and Medicine” in 2007. Listen to her remarks.
“I joined this group due to burnout. Burnout is not about waiting until you feel like you can’t do your job—it’s constantly asking yourself what you are doing and feeling and helping prevent burnout from occurring by paying attention every day, not waiting until too late.”
“I have a greater awareness of the impact I can have [as a health care professional] and I really make sure that my patients’ needs, aside from physical, are met. I am also more aware of cultural needs and how to help patients work within their culture to meet their health care needs.”
