School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations
Reducing Stress and Burnout: Interventions to Improve Resident Wellness
Poster Number
317
Document Type
Poster
Status
Medical Resident
Abstract Category
Quality Improvement
Keywords
Quality Improvement, Wellness, Burnout
Publication Date
Spring 2018
Abstract
Background: Resident wellness has been an increasingly important topic in residency programs across the United States. Increasing social isolation, decreased work satisfaction, and feelings of depression have led to unexpectedly high and rising rates of resident self-harm. Several initiatives have been attempted to minimize resident burnout and depression at the George Washington University Hospital but have not been measured in the past.
Aim: This project aimed to decrease resident feelings of burnout by 25% by April, 2018.
Methods: Using a standardized questionnaire, several initiatives were attempted at our home institution to improve resident wellness and to measure the response. After assessing what residents deemed would best improve wellness and quality of life, a series of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were launched to improve baseline scores. These interventions included a daily joke sent out to all residency classes intended to boost morale, scheduling regular social after hours events open to the entire residency cohort, and educating the residency class about resources aimed at resident wellness.
Results: Our wellness interventions were generally well received by the residency cohort; however, we were unable to assess repeat wellness scores after our three PDSA cycles. Qualitative responses to our interventions are as follows. During PDSA cycle 1 (daily joke) we noted that several residents unsubscribed to the mass text list as it interrupted daily workflow; however, many residents commented that this was a welcome addition to their busy day. The best time of day to send these messages was during lunch, though even this proved an interruption for some. PDSA cycle 2 (social hours) was also well received with a number of residents offering to help coordinate future events.
Discussion: We identified that there are many different avenues available to improve residency wellness, and that there is benefit to offering a variety of interventions that mirrors the diversity within a residency class. While most residency wellness interventions were well received, there were obstacles to delivering wellness opportunities including funding constraints and potential conflicts with residents’ busy schedules. Future projects can focus on expanding the variety of interventions, engaging the program leadership to invest financial resources, and creating a blueprint that can be expanded to other residency programs outside of our home institution.
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Open Access
1
Reducing Stress and Burnout: Interventions to Improve Resident Wellness
Background: Resident wellness has been an increasingly important topic in residency programs across the United States. Increasing social isolation, decreased work satisfaction, and feelings of depression have led to unexpectedly high and rising rates of resident self-harm. Several initiatives have been attempted to minimize resident burnout and depression at the George Washington University Hospital but have not been measured in the past.
Aim: This project aimed to decrease resident feelings of burnout by 25% by April, 2018.
Methods: Using a standardized questionnaire, several initiatives were attempted at our home institution to improve resident wellness and to measure the response. After assessing what residents deemed would best improve wellness and quality of life, a series of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were launched to improve baseline scores. These interventions included a daily joke sent out to all residency classes intended to boost morale, scheduling regular social after hours events open to the entire residency cohort, and educating the residency class about resources aimed at resident wellness.
Results: Our wellness interventions were generally well received by the residency cohort; however, we were unable to assess repeat wellness scores after our three PDSA cycles. Qualitative responses to our interventions are as follows. During PDSA cycle 1 (daily joke) we noted that several residents unsubscribed to the mass text list as it interrupted daily workflow; however, many residents commented that this was a welcome addition to their busy day. The best time of day to send these messages was during lunch, though even this proved an interruption for some. PDSA cycle 2 (social hours) was also well received with a number of residents offering to help coordinate future events.
Discussion: We identified that there are many different avenues available to improve residency wellness, and that there is benefit to offering a variety of interventions that mirrors the diversity within a residency class. While most residency wellness interventions were well received, there were obstacles to delivering wellness opportunities including funding constraints and potential conflicts with residents’ busy schedules. Future projects can focus on expanding the variety of interventions, engaging the program leadership to invest financial resources, and creating a blueprint that can be expanded to other residency programs outside of our home institution.