Lessons from other fields – Clinician Well-Being Knowledge Hub

The Embedded Counseling Model: An Application for Dental Students

NAM — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 13:36:46 +0000

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a counseling office on dental students at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics during their first three academic semesters. A full time psychologist was hired to provide in house counseling sessions to individual students. During clinical assessment, data was gathered on students’ psychological history and high risk behaviors. An outcome rating scale was utilized after each session to assess overall psychotherapy outcome. Results found a positive correlation between the number of counseling appointments and overall functioning. The most significant increase followed after the sessions. This suggests that counseling offices are efficient in promoting well-being of students and further research is needed in this area so that faculty can best meet the needs of their students.

Tackling Stress Management, Addiction, and Suicide Prevention in a Predoctoral Dental Curriculum

NAM — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 13:32:12 +0000

This article, published in Predoctoral Dental Education describes a module designed by the University Of British Columbia Faculty Of Dentistry to address stress management and suicide prevention in dental education. The course includes standardized patients, guest lectures, in-class activities, video presentations, and self-reflections. The purpose of the module is to increase discussion of stress in dentistry curriculum and awareness in dental students. Follow up studies with students who have taken the module are needed to determine its impact on health behaviors.

Improving Environments for Learning in the Health Professions

NAM — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:24:59 +0000

This publication from the Macy Foundation provides a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed to improve the clinical learning environment. It contains a list of resources such as commissioned papers and case studies distributed at a conference about discussing major interventions in the field. The Foundation assembled leaders from health professions education, health professions learners, and representatives from accrediting bodies to identify interventions designed to improve health profession’s learning environments and offer a vision for a high functioning learning environment.

The Code Not Taken: The Path From Guild Ethics to Torture and Our Continuing Choices

NAM — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 20:23:33 +0000

This article examines tactics used to maintain the façade of professional ethics despite over a decade of publicized reports—in newspapers, professional journals, books, reports published by human rights organizations, and other widely available sources—of documentary evidence of psychology’s organizational involvement in what came to be called “enhanced interrogations.” It asks if we use versions of these tactics in our individual lives. If a credible identity, integrity, and professional ethics are not reflected in our individual lives, it is unlikely they will thrive in our profession and organizations.

This Penn Study Found that Studying Art Can Make for More Attentive Physicians

NAM — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 20:45:45 +0000

A study by the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia showed that taking a course with the Philadelphia Museum of Art benefited medical students’ medical and ophthalmological observational skills. Through the course, students learned to sharpen their descriptive and communication skills through color and shape concepts, as well as their ability to to view artwork from multiple perspectives. The improved observational abilities could potentially translate to improved clinical effectiveness, empathy, and overall better physicians.

The Application of Positive Psychology in the Practice of Education

NAM — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 13:38:22 +0000

Anna Pluskota examines the relationship between positive psychology and education through selected concepts and practical use in the form of positive prevention and intervention programs.

Review of Emotional Resiliency for the Era of Climate Change: A Clinician’s Guide by Leslie Davenport (Foreword by Lise Van Susteren)

NAM — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:33:02 +0000

The following book review, published in Ecopsychology, praises a practical clinical guide made to deal with the escalating environmental-caused trauma in consulting rooms and communities. It explores the undeveloped field of climate psychology through case studies, practical exercises, resiliency tools, and evidence-based best practices drawn from expert clinical research.

Resilience and Professional Quality of Life Among Military Healthcare Providers

NAM — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 18:45:10 +0000

With retention of qualified military healthcare providers in mind, the following study examines the relationship between resilience and professional quality of life explores differences among deployed and non-deployed providers. Results indicate high resilience scores among all providers, and significant relationships between professional quality of life and resilience. Recommendations for future research are included.

Physician Resilience: What it Means, Why it Matters, and How to Promote it

NAM — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 20:55:10 +0000

Epstein and Krasner’s review article in Academic Medicine probes research on clinician resilience. How can individuals and organizations cultivate skills, habits, and attitude promoting resilience among medical students and practicing clinicians? Resilience-promoting programs should strive to build community among clinicians and other members of the health care workforce to ultimately reduce errors, burnout, and attrition. Furthermore, the review offers insights on structures and values promoting resilience from successful organizations outside of medicine.

Improving Resistance and Resiliency Through Crisis Intervention Training

NAM — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 13:48:33 +0000

This paper, published in International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, describes the impact of ICISF Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support courses on resistance and resiliency after 2 days. The overall resistance and resiliency scores improved. The article posits that organizational training and related services in mental health and crisis intervention should be perceived as a contribution to overall resiliency of the organization. Focus should be placed on resilience and recovery of employees affected by personal or workplace stress and/or critical incidents.