Wellness in Anesthesiology

There is very little emphasis on physician wellness in residency, but it is becoming increasingly clear that physician health and well-being are paramount for effective medical practice. Specifically in anesthesiology, a study of residents demonstrated that 22% of anesthesia residents experience symptoms of depression, the rate of suicidal ideation was more than twice the age adjusted rate observed in other developed countries and 41% had high rates of burnout. In order to improve wellness, several initiatives have been proposed and implemented in our department.

Wellness in Anesthesiology Dulce Boucher, MD Resident Retreat Mindfulness Moments Introduction There is very little emphasis on physician wellness in residency, but it is becoming increasingly clear that physician health and well-being are paramount for effective medical practice. Specifically in anesthesiology, a study of residents demonstrated that 22% of anesthesia residents experience symptoms of depression, the rate of suicidal ideation was more than twice the age adjusted rate observed in other developed countries and 41% had high rates of burnout. In order to improve wellness, several initiatives have been proposed and implemented in our department. Initiatives • • • • • • • Resident retreat Wellness orientation Personal days policy Peer to peer support Mindfulness moments Anesthesia simulation day Catastrophic event protocol Throughout orientation for the 1st year residents, three Sessions were dedicated to "mindfulness moments" in which residents were encouraged to meditate using the meditation app called Headspace. Personal Days Policy Residents may request personal days off, no questions asked, up to 5 per year. This is to allow for more flexibility in scheduling health care appointments, for family needs or just for self care. In progress… Facilitated resident check in: This took place Oct 7-8th as a two day event with an overnight stay at the Snowbird Resort. Residents participated in workshops focused on leadership, teamwork, improved communication skills, and well-being in an atmosphere promoting interpersonal connection and relationship building. Wellness Orientation During orientation for incoming first year anesthesia residents, a one hour session was dedicated to promoting wellness. This was facilitated by the GME wellness office. Catastrophic Event Protocol Support for Catastrophic events Protocol Goal of the protocol: Is to offer support to our colleagues during difficult intraoperative or personal events. Further goal: to promote wellness by recognizing the emotional and physical toll that results as we empathize and care for our patients during difficult circumstances Further goal: to improve patient safety by ensuring that each patient has a provider that is not emotionally or mentally compromised. Definition of a catastrophic event: Intraoperative death, code, or unexpected or devastating course of events intraoperatively, or personal family emergency. Role of the coordinator: The coordinator may be made aware of a catastrophic event because the anesthesia provider: o o o o Calls for help Requests a TEE A code is called Through colleague communications 1. The coordinator, when possible, will relieve the anesthesia provider for the rest of the day. This includes the anesthesia attending, resident, and/or CRNA. If a replacement is not quickly, or easily found, then the team can be moved to a different location, with the idea that a change in setting, or change in type of case, or an assignment that reduces task load may be beneficial. 2. The coordinator will then alert the wellness team when possible. Jen DeCou, Betty Boucher, or Clive Thirkhill Debriefing The anesthesia team will be offered a debriefing opportunity or peer-to peer counseling. · · Peer to peer counseling is optional to the anesthesia providers involved. The goal is to be supportive to the emotional, mental, and physical toll that catastrophic events involve. The counseling should not be thought of as punitive or information-gathering regarding the event. Peer to peer training will be offered to colleagues that are interested in this role. These would be group sessions in which residents gather together and discuss their experiences in residency. This promotes self disclosure, mutual sharing and improves bonds between residents. These would be facilitated by the wellness office and occur 2x per year. Anesthesia Simulation Day: In order to improve understanding and empathy between the anesthesia residents and their support network, family and friends would be invited to participate in an anesthesia simulation and learn more about what anesthesiology is all about.