AdvanceMed

Tag: on call

  • Surviving the Festivities: A Junior Doctor’s Guide to Working Through Christmas

    Surviving the Festivities: A Junior Doctor’s Guide to Working Through Christmas

    Working as a junior doctor during the holiday season can be particularly challenging. While many people are enjoying time off with their families and loved ones, junior doctors often find themselves working long hours, dealing with increased patient loads, and facing the pressures of the job. It can be difficult to maintain physical and mental well-being during this time, but it is crucial to prioritize self-care in order to provide the best possible care for patients. If you are a doctor working Christmas this year. Here are a few tips for improving your experience.

    The festive season is a time when many people experience heightened emotions and stress. As a junior doctor, it is important to recognize the impact that this can have on your own well-being. It is common to feel overwhelmed and exhausted during this time, but it is essential to take steps to manage these feelings and prioritize self-care.

    Planning Ahead: How to Prepare for a Busy Christmas Schedule

    One of the key strategies for managing a busy Christmas schedule as a junior doctor is effective planning. This involves organizing your schedule and prioritizing tasks to ensure that you are able to meet your professional obligations while also taking care of yourself.

    Start by reviewing your schedule and identifying potential conflicts or areas where you may need additional support. Think about how you can continue delegating responsibilities to colleagues or seeking assistance from other healthcare team members within the Christmas roster’s constraints. This can help to alleviate some of the pressure and ensure that you are able to provide quality care to your patients.

    Staying Healthy as a Doctor Working Christmas: Tips for Maintaining Your Physical and Mental Well-being

    Maintaining physical and mental well-being is crucial for junior doctors, especially during the busy holiday season. It is important to prioritize sleep, exercise, and healthy eating in order to keep your energy levels up and reduce the risk of burnout.

    Make sure you get enough sleep each night, even if it means adjusting your schedule or creating a bedtime routine that promotes relaxation. Incorporate regular exercise into your routine, even if it is just a short walk or stretching session. And be mindful of what you are eating, making sure to fuel your body with nutritious foods that will support your overall health.

    In addition to these physical aspects of self-care, it is also important to find time for mental well-being. This can include activities such as meditation, journaling, or engaging in hobbies that bring you joy and relaxation. Taking breaks throughout the day and finding time for self-care can help to reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

    Dealing with Difficult Patients: How to Handle Challenging Situations

    As a junior doctor, you may encounter patients who seem difficult and challenging situations over Christmas. It is important to have effective communication skills to navigate these encounters and provide the best possible care.

    One key aspect of effective communication is to use your empathy and active listening skills. Try to put yourself in the patient’s shoes and understand their perspective. This can help you to respond with compassion and understanding, even in difficult situations. Whilst everyone is generally on their best behaviour over this time, patients included. It’s important to remember that your patient probably didn’t plan to be in the hospital over Christmas and would also prefer to be somewhere else

    Working as a Team: Collaborating with Colleagues to Deliver Quality Care

    doctor working Christmas

    Working as a junior doctor is not a solitary endeavour. It is important to collaborate with colleagues and other members of the healthcare team in order to deliver quality care to patients.

    Effective communication is key to successful teamwork. This includes clear and concise communication, active listening, and being open to feedback. By communicating effectively, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common goal.

    Conflict resolution is another important aspect of teamwork. It is inevitable that conflicts will arise in any workplace, but it is important to address them in a constructive and respectful manner. This can involve open and honest communication, seeking compromise, and finding solutions that benefit everyone involved.

    Balancing Work and Personal Life: Finding Time for Family and Friends

    Finding a work-life balance can be particularly challenging for junior doctors during the holiday season. However, it is important to prioritize personal time and make time for family and friends.

    Setting boundaries is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This may involve setting limits on your availability outside of work hours or scheduling regular breaks throughout the day. By setting boundaries, you can ensure that you have time for personal activities and relationships.

    It is also important to prioritize self-care and make time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation. This could include spending time with loved ones, engaging in hobbies, or simply taking time for yourself. By prioritizing personal time, you can recharge and maintain your well-being.

    Making the Most of the Experience: Opportunities for Professional Development

    While working during the holiday season as a junior doctor can be challenging, it also presents opportunities for learning and professional growth. It is important to approach the experience with a positive mindset and embrace the opportunities that come your way.

    Working during the holiday season can provide exposure to a wide range of cases and experiences. This can help to broaden your knowledge and skills, and provide valuable learning opportunities. Take advantage of these experiences and seek out opportunities for professional development.

    Celebrating the Season: Ways to Enjoy the Festivities Despite Being a Doctor Working Christmas

    Even though you may be working during the holiday season, there are still ways to celebrate and enjoy the festivities. It is important to find joy and gratitude in the work you do, even during challenging times.

    One way to celebrate the season is by creating a festive work environment. Decorate your workspace with holiday decorations, play festive music, or organize small celebrations with colleagues. These small gestures can help to create a sense of joy and celebration, even in a busy work environment.

    Another way to enjoy the festivities is by finding time for small moments of celebration throughout the day. This could include taking a few minutes to enjoy a holiday treat, participating in a workplace Secret Santa, or organizing a small holiday gathering with colleagues. By finding small moments of celebration, you can bring joy into your workday.

    Reflections on the Rewards of Being a Junior Doctor During Christmas

    Working as a junior doctor during the holiday season can be challenging, but it also presents opportunities for growth, learning, and making a difference in the lives of patients. It is important to find meaning and purpose in your work, even during difficult times.

    Reflect on the rewards of being a junior doctor working Christmas. Remember that you are providing care to those who need it most during this time, and that your work is making a difference in the lives of patients and their families. Find joy and gratitude in the work you do, and take pride in the impact you are making.

    By prioritizing self-care, effective communication, and teamwork, you can navigate the challenges of working as a junior doctor during the holiday season. Remember to take care of yourself, find moments of celebration, and embrace the opportunities for growth and learning that come your way.

    FAQs

    Why do junior doctors have to work during Christmas?

    Hospitals and healthcare facilities operate 24/7, 365 days a year, and patients require medical attention regardless of the holiday season. Junior doctors are an essential part of the healthcare workforce and are required to work during Christmas to ensure that patients receive the necessary medical care.

    What are some tips for junior doctors to survive Christmas at work?

    Some tips for junior doctors to survive Christmas at work include staying hydrated, taking breaks when possible, prioritizing tasks, and seeking support from colleagues and supervisors. It is also essential to maintain a healthy work-life balance and take care of one’s mental and physical health.

    What are some challenges that junior doctors may face during Christmas at work?

    Some challenges that junior doctors may face during Christmas at work include long working hours, increased workload, and limited access to resources and support. They may also experience feelings of isolation and loneliness due to being away from family and friends during the holiday season.

    How can hospitals and healthcare facilities support junior doctors during Christmas?

    Hospitals and healthcare facilities can support junior doctors during Christmas by providing adequate staffing levels, offering mental health support services, and recognizing the efforts of junior doctors during the holiday season. They can also provide opportunities for junior doctors to take breaks and spend time with their loved ones when possible.

  • The Impostor Syndrome in Medical Education

    The Impostor Syndrome in Medical Education

    Recently I hosted an inaugural Medical Education event in my local area. One of the key repeated claims from many of our speakers was of Impostor Syndrome (IS).  It became quite a theme through the Conference.  The typical argument went something along the line of “well really I don’t consider myself to be a medical educationalist first and foremost so I was a bit surprised to be asked to give a talk on the medical education topic of …”

    Given that the participant feedback indicated a high quality of presentation and content from our speakers, the claim of Impostor Syndrome seemed to be most justified.

    The Impostor Syndrome was first hypothesized by a pair of female Clinical Psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978 to describe a phenomenon they had observed in their practices amongst high-achieving individuals (predominantly women) who struggled to accept their accomplishments despite contrary external evidence and constantly feared being placed in an expert role as they might be discovered to be a fraud.

    Is it surprising that medical educationalists feel like imposters or is it a broader phenomenon in medicine itself?  Well, in a 2008 article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, of the 48 participating Internal Medicine residents 44% were found on the survey to exhibit signs of “impostorisim”.  It’s probably not surprising that, particularly at times of transition in our medical careers, we as doctors might feel a bit more fraudulent, for example when transitioning from an undergraduate to a postgraduate as the JGIM article shows or when someone gets asked to talk at a medical education conference for the first time not many of us appear to deliberately set out to become medical educators.

    I’ve recently been undergoing a transition back into some clinical practice and feeling the IS myself a bit.  I felt that my first day in outpatient practice was possibly my worst workday in a long time.  I was particularly troubled by the amount of time it took me to document my patient encounters.  To deal with this I found it reassuring to discuss my experience and cases within a peer review group and get some of my documentation confidentially checked by a peer.  I soon discovered that my experience was quite normal.

    By the way, Impostor Syndrome is not a mental disorder it didn’t make it into the latest DSM5. But there are still reasons, in my opinion, to take this issue on seriously.

    One worrying possible consequence of Impostor Syndrome is its potential impact on patient care.  I observed this issue at play some time ago in my psychiatry training program.  A colleague and I noticed a pattern in the psychiatry trainees and their behavior when on-call after hours.  We noticed that there was an inverse relationship between the seniority of the trainees and the number of times that they would call the Consultant to review a patient.

    We had some reasonable data on the numbers of patients presenting and were aware of how many patients were being admitted overnight and so we could compare this with the actual frequency of calls.  This would often get to a point of comedic-tragedic proportions where I can recall having meetings with trainees around wanting to write detailed policies about when trainees should call the Consultant.  I pointed out at the time that this didn’t seem to be the real problem as the Consultants were always happy to be called and if we wrote a policy and a trainee didn’t follow it (which I assessed was a high probability) this would create even more problems for the trainee.

    When I talked to the trainees about why it was they called more as a senior trainee versus a junior trainee the responses indicated that junior trainees felt they were not experienced enough and didn’t know enough to call the Consultant (were worried about embarrassing themselves) whereas senior trainees highly valued the opportunity to discuss with a Consultant because they felt it was more of a peer relationship and they even confessed that perhaps they were calling a little more than they felt they really needed to because they had already made a good assessment and plan ”bounce things off the Consultant”.

    I’ve talked to other colleagues from other disciplines about this observation and they have observed it as well.  By definition, its not true Impostor Syndrome but it’s something quite close; doctors close in experience and/or capability and/or seniority to other doctors are less anxious about revealing a weakness than those further apart.

    I haven’t been an on-call Consultant for a little while but when I was I tried a simple experiment in countering this problem.  Each morning after my on-call I would send the trainee doctor a quick email thanking them for being on-call and giving them some feedback on the presentations from the night before.  If I hadn’t been called at all I would remind them that I was on-call and still hoped the night went well for them.  My experiment didn’t last long enough for me to know whether it had an effect on the Trainee Impostor Syndrome but as I am shortly returning to on-call again I think I might give it another go.

    What about you?  Have you encountered Impostor Syndrome in your work?  Have you developed any methods of addressing the seniority gap in patient handover?

    Footnote:  We were very fortunate indeed to have Jason Frank as our international speaker for our Conference. There were many points as to why we decided to hold a local #MedEd event but the primary reason was that we wanted an event where we could bring all the key players in the medical training pipeline together in one room for two days.  On that measure our event was a great success as it spawned a lot of collaborative conversations from organizations that attended including after the event.  It’s often stated that the real learning at a Conference happens at the sidelines.