"Back to Bedside": Residents' and Fellows' Perspectives on Finding Meaning in Work. J Grad Med Educ 2017 Apr;9(2):269-273
Date
04/26/2017Pubmed ID
28439376Pubmed Central ID
PMC5398141DOI
10.4300/JGME-D-17-00136.1Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85047969955 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 49 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Physician burnout is common and associated with significant consequences for physicians and patients. One mechanism to combat burnout is to enhance meaning in work.
OBJECTIVE: To provide a trainee perspective on how meaning in work can be enhanced in the clinical learning environment through individual, program, and institutional efforts.
METHODS: "Back to Bedside" resulted from an appreciative inquiry exercise by 37 resident and fellow members of the ACGME's Council of Review Committee Residents (CRCR), which was guided by the memoir When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. The exercise was designed to (1) discover current best practices in existing learning environments; (2) dream of ideal ways to enhance meaning in work; (3) design solutions that move toward this optimal environment; and (4) support trainees in operationalizing innovative solutions.
RESULTS: Back to Bedside consists of 5 themes for how the learning environment can enhance meaning in daily work: (1) more time at the bedside, engaged in direct patient care, dialogue with patients and families, and bedside clinical teaching; (2) a shared sense of teamwork and respect among multidisciplinary health professionals and trainees; (3) decreasing the time spent on nonclinical and administrative responsibilities; (4) a supportive, collegial work environment; and (5) a learning environment conducive to developing clinical mastery and progressive autonomy. Participants identified actions to achieve these goals.
CONCLUSIONS: A national, multispecialty group of trainees developed actionable recommendations for how clinical learning environments can be improved to combat physician burnout by fostering meaning in work. These improvements can be championed by trainees.
Author List
Hipp DM, Rialon KL, Nevel K, Kothari AN, Jardine LDAAuthor
Anai N. Kothari MD Associate Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Burnout, ProfessionalFellowships and Scholarships
Humans
Internship and Residency
Learning
Physicians
Workplace
