15: Impact of moral injury on physicians
In today’s episode, I discuss physician burnout and moral injury and how it impacts physicians’ decisions to seek careers beyond the bedside. Burnout is typically a syndrome that has been associated with severe exhaustion, cynicism, and decreased effectiveness. Factors that contribute to burnout include: prolonged working hours; the increase in bureaucratic or administrative work that is involved in taking care of patients; and failing to strike a proper balance between work and private life.
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“Many physicians who suffer from burnout or moral injury seek to find another job to see if that can be a solution for their emotional distress and their physical distress as well. There are steps that physicians can take to sometimes resolve some of these situations without necessarily abandoning a position that meets their needs and that they enjoy.”
Show Highlights:
- The concept of burnout and moral injury in relation to physicians.
- Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
- Moral injury refers to an injury to an individual’s moral conscience and values resulting from an act of perceived moral transgression, which produces profound emotional guilt and shame, and in some cases also a sense of betrayal, anger and profound “moral disorientation”.
- Factors that contribute to burnout include: prolonged working hours; the increase in bureaucratic or administrative work that is involved in taking care of patients; and failing to strike a proper balance between work and private life.
- How to recognize the symptoms of burnout syndrome and assess them using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the moral injury symptom scale.
- How the concept of moral injury came to be understood based on the study of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Why many experts feel that moral conflict when making decisions regarding what is best for the patient (including treatment decisions and obtaining approval) may lead to the syndrome of moral injury.
- The positive role of physician leadership in the workplace.
- Karen Curry Parker’s research on the relationship between unresolved minor trauma and moral injury.
- How it’s possible with the right coaching, counseling, and mentoring to resolve issues of burnout and moral injury by healing in place.
- The importance of boundaries and the value of resilience training.
About me:
I’m an experienced physician executive with over 30 years of clinical and administrative experience in various healthcare settings. I’m passionate about coaching and mentoring physicians interested in transitioning to full time or part time non-clinical roles either within the healthcare industry or external to healthcare. I have served as a COO for an emergency medicine management company, CMO for several hospitals, Vice-president of ambulatory quality for a large multispecialty medical group, Vice-president of system quality and safety for a multi-hospital system, along with numerous medical staff positions and other administrative roles.
Connect with me:
Website: https://physiciansbeyondthebedside.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NormMD.BTB
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beyondbedside
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVkvrQa3LULExRtPNvkkuw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nchapinmd/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ubeyondthebedside/
Additional Resources:
IHI Joy in Work Course Schedule
Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program
Don Berwick’s Presentation on Physician Burnout
Stop Physician Burnout with Dike Drummond
Physician Burnout: Which doctors have the highest burnout rate?
It’s OK Not to Be OK: Physician Burnout and Mental Health
Physician Burnout: Stop Blaming the Individual
A Better Job Won’t Help – The Truth about Burnout | Karen Curry Parker | TEDxColoradoSprings
Break Free from Burnout Part 1- Quantum Alignment Show
Burnout and Human Design, Part 2 Quantum Alignment Show
Understanding Job Burnout – Dr. Christina Maslach
Burnout Prevention and Treatment
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