Empowering healthcare professionals to return to work through simulation training: addressing psychosocial needs
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: In the UK, 10% of trainee doctors are out of clinical practice at any given time, for reasons including personal health, carer duties, further education, research and parental leave.1
Doctors report that leaving work often invokes feelings of isolation and sadness, as well as concerns around a lack of support from colleagues and organisations, and even negative views from their families.1 Self-stigmatisation sees doctors internalise negative views about themselves, promoting self-esteem issues and a lack of help-seeking behaviour, which also relates to the constructs of personal and professional identity.2 Addressing and tackling the barriers related to returning to work is not only beneficial for a doctor’s well-being but for patient care too. One systematic review found that doctors with higher occupational well-being adhere more to treatment guidelines, are more optimistic and helpful, and direct more attention to patient’s psychosocial health.3
Although programmes exist to support returning doctors, there is a shortage of evidence-based interventions. This report outlines a training intervention and subsequent evaluation for returning healthcare professionals, in which they can develop their clinical skills and needs as well as their own psychosocial skills and needs.
### Training course
The 4-day course aimed to update doctors returning to work on their clinical skills and knowledge, while creating an open space to address personal and psychosocial needs regarding returning (see table 1 for learning activities and scenarios). The course was delivered in a simulation centre in South London, with each day lasting approximately 8 hours, by a multiprofessional faculty of clinical educators and simulation experts, including doctors, nurses and …
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3015224206