Fatigue. Fatigue is a pervasive, protective phenomenon affecting the totality of the individual. Assessment and management involve a wide range of activities to address the total human being's physical, psychological, cognitive, and spiritual dimensions. When elimination or neutralization of the effect of an antecedent condition is not an option, redesigning one's life-style may be the primary avenue of fatigue management. This protective mechanism, fatigue, may in fact herald the return of quality and purpose to one's life. 