Citation: Manuela S, Ana J, Ângela B,, Henrique C, Rui G. Acupuncture and Reiki as a Prevention Strategy of Burnout and Occupational Stress in Oncology. Open Acc J Oncol Med 1(3)- 2018. OAJOM.MS.ID.000116. 1/3 UPINE PUBLISHERS Open Access L Open Access Journal of Oncology and Medicine Research Article Acupuncture and Reiki as a Prevention Strategy of Burnout and Occupational Stress in Oncology Manuela Santos 1 , Ana Joaquim* 2 , Ângela Bernardo 1 , Henrique Coelho 3 and Rui Gomes 4 1 Nurse of Oncology Day Care of Hospital Center of Vila Nova de Gaia, (C HVNG/E), Portugal 2 Medical Doctor of Medical Oncology Department of CHVNG/E, Portugal 3 Medical Doctor of Clinical Hematology Department of CHVNG/E, Portugal 4 Assistant Professor in Psychology School of University of Minho, Portugal Received: April 17, 2018; Published: April 24, 2018 *Corresponding author: Ana Joaquim, Medical Doctor of Medical Oncology Department of CHVNG/E, Portugal, Email: Introduction Burnout is one of the health problems that occur most prominently among human service professionals. This syndrome was first identified in [1] by Freudenberger and defined as “a physical and emotional fatigue that leads to a loss of motivation for the work, which can evolve until the onset of feelings of failure [2]. In the following years other definitions have been proposed, highlighting the syndrome impact on the personal and professional dimension of the worker’s life as well as the relationship of the health professional with his clients. Schaufeli e Greenglass [3] stated that Burnout is “a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that results from long-term involvement in work situations that are emotionally demanding” [3]. When affected, human service professionals can fail to feel compassion for the suffering of others and stop giving them the care they need, particularly the emotional and communicational needs. In the same extent, professionals suffering from burnout tend to depart completely from their functions, which could result in serious damage to public health as it results in a waste of talent and training resources [4]. Abstract Burnout is a professional syndrome associated with stress caused by overwork and is highly prevalent in healthcare professionals working with cancer patients. Our aim was to assess the role of complementary therapies, namely acupuncture and Reiki, in Burnout and Stress prevention of healthcare professionals working at an Oncology and Haematology Departments of a Portuguese hospital. Therefore, an experimental, cross-sectional study was designed wherein a sample of 16 participants underwent acupuncture and Reiki sessions. The Maslach’s Burnout Inventory- Human Service Surveys (MBI-HSS) as well as the Stress Questionnaire for Health Professionals (SQHP) were completed by all participants before and after the intervention. Furthermore, they were also asked qualitative questions regarding their perceptions about these therapies. The results suggest that the complementary therapies used may have a role in the prevention of burnout and occupational stress. Keywords: Burnout; Occupational stress; Oncology; Acupuncture; Reiki Abbreviations: MBI-HSS: Maslach’s Burnout Inventory-Human Service Surveys; SQHP: Stress Questionnaire for Health Professionals; CHVNG: Centro Hospital de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho