Strength in Connection: Addressing Anesthesia Resident Isolation Through Structured Bonding Sessions

Anesthesiology residents face unique challenges due to the isolating nature of our work, which primarily involves brief sessions of one-on-one learning with attending physicians in the operating room. The limited interaction with peers has contributed to high burnout rates and low wellness scores in our Anesthesiology program at the University of Utah. To address this, we implemented structured wellness activities including a Welcome Weekend, Decompression Dinners, and a Pickleball tournament to foster peer connection, mitigate isolation, and reduce burnout. Our aim for the 2024-2025 academic year was to engage at least 75% of residents in these voluntary activities. Survey results showed that 88.9% of respondents participated in at least one event. The same percentage reported they felt closer to their co-residents, developed a sense of community, and had space to discuss work challenges/frustrations at these events. Notably, those who found the sessions unhelpful had not attended any events. Overall, these wellness initiatives have strengthened community among our anesthesiology residents, and we are grateful to have received financial support from a GME wellness grant to make them possible. In the future we would like to expand these efforts to continue to improve resident well-being.

Strength in Connection: Addressing Anesthesia Resident Isolation Through Structured Bonding Sessions Dennis Berry-Rieser, MD; Linnea Dixson, MD; Jacob Brandenburg, MD Department of Anesthesiology, University of Utah Introduction • Anesthesiology residents face a unique wellness challenge in the form of environmental isolation from peers. Due to the structure of our work in operating rooms, residents rarely have meaningful work interactions with our residency peers. • Peer support has been shown to be integral to wellbeing and reducing feelings of isolation through validation of experiences, facilitating reflection and providing sense of community.1 • Increasing interaction with peers could help improve the wellness scores and reduce burnout in the Anesthesiology program at the University of Utah.2 Aim • To foster peer connection, mitigate isolation, and reduce burnout in anesthesiology residents with structured wellness activities with a goal of reaching 75% of residents. • Utilize the financial assistance from the GME Wellness Office grant and Department of Anesthesia to increase the frequency, variety and accessibility of the wellness events. Anesthesia residents that attended at least one structured wellness event during the 2024-2025 academic year reported increased connectedness and community Assessment • Survey using a 5-point Likert scale assessing resident feelings of connectedness, comfort in discussing difficult topics with peers, and interest in attending further events with additional freeform feedback option. • Positive response assessed as a rating ≥ 4 on the 5-point Likert scale Results • 92.9% of respondents participated in at least one event. • Percent positive response rate per prompt: • I feel closer to my co-residents after attending these events – 86% • These events help foster a sense of community in my residency – 86% • The increase in positive response could be attributed to multiple factors: • Greater variety of events • Addition of structured activities ( i.e. pickle ball tournament) • Increased frequency to allow for more participation • Limitations include incomplete analysis of all participants (number of survey responses did not equal total event participation). Conclusion • It is easy to talk with my co-residents about frustrating or challenging things that happen at work – 86% • The financial and planning assistance provided by the GME Wellness Office and Department of Anesthesia allowed for increased variety and accessibility of resident wellness events leading to an increase in peer support and connectedness among residents. • I would attend another wellness event in the future – 86% References Feedback • ”Love the events! Would take more of them…” • ”Love variability in time/events” • “They’re great! I love the opportunity to get together with my peers in a social setting to foster support for one another Discussion • Compared to similar surveys from the previous year there was an an increase of positive responses for all prompts. 1. 1. Spence, Jessica, David Smith, and Anne Wong. 2018. “Stress and Burnout in Anesthesia Residency: An Exploratory Case Study of Peer Support Groups”. Qualitative Research in Medicine and Healthcare 2 (2). https://doi.org/10.4081/qrmh.2018.7417. 2. Ziegelstein, Roy C. “Creating Structured Opportunities for Social Engagement to Promote Well-Being and Avoid Burnout in Medical Students and Residents.” Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges vol. 93,4 (2018): 537-539. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000002117