Burnout Prevention Through Professional Development

Surging enrollment, high levels of student contact, and the professional isolation that can result from teaching remotely combine to increase the risk of burnout for faculty teaching online. Additional risk factors stem from higher education's turn toward a customer service model, its current emphasis on efficiency with the addition of performance metrics, and resulting feelings of loss of agency, efficacy, and belonging. However, the principles of self-determination theory—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—provide a foundation for creating a sustainable, engaging work environment for faculty that also benefits students and the university as a whole. This chapter draws from interdisciplinary research and the insights and experiences of faculty to detail the causes of and solutions for burnout, emphasizing the role institutions play in mitigating the risk factors. Finally, this chapter includes a playbook of concrete practices that departments and institutions can draw from to create opportunities for employees to collaborate, reflect, and flourish.

The effect of isolation on job crafting in telecommuting

The aims of this study was to identify what behavior of employees in order to overcome the isolation in the environment in which telecommuting was implemented. Specifically, this study was the networking behavior will appear as a positive coping method for the employees to overcome the isolation, and the mediating process that it will have a positive effect on job crafting through these behaviors is examined. Also want to identify the moderating effect according of affective commitment in this influence series of processes. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted on employees who are currently telecommuting from domestic companies and a total of 313 data were analyzed. The results of this study are as follows. First, professional isolation had a positive related on task networking behavior and social isolation had a positive related on friendship networking behavior. Second, the relationship between networking behavior and job crafting had all positively related. Third, the mediating effect of networking behavior was significant in the relationship between isolation and job crafting. Fourth, the moderating effect of affective commitment was significant only in the relationship between social isolation and friendship networking behavior. Fifth, the moderated mediating effect of affective commitment was significant only in the indirect effect of friendship networking behavior. Based on these findings, we expect to help to understand the emotions and behaviors of employees that may appear at the beginning of introduction of telecommuting in depth.

Improving services for those who serve: A private practice initiative to improve psychiatric care for first responder and military patients

Objectives Professional isolation and limited opportunities for multidisciplinary collaborations are well-recognised challenges for psychiatrists in private practice. This narrative paper describes the development of a private practice group to assist first responders (FRs) and military patients located in Adelaide, South Australia. The aims included both peer review, and interdisciplinary communication and collaboration. Relevant personnel in the ambulance, police and fire services, military and veterans’ groups, and the compensation system, participated in monthly meetings. Lack of timely access to psychiatric care for FR and military patients was identified as a problem and an expedited referral service was established. Conclusions The Closing the Gap Group was established in 2017. The terminology refers to the gap between treating psychiatrists and the complex organisations that manage the workplace context for FR/military patients. This initiative provides a template for private practice innovations to improve psychiatrists’ skills and knowledge, along with better engagement and understanding between private psychiatrists and relevant community organisations.

Rural principal perspectives of leadership development needs

Rural school principals often face issues of professional isolation and lack of access to leadership development opportunities. To address these challenges, the Elgin Children’s Foundation launched its Principal Support Program (PSP) in 2017 to support the development of effective school leaders in three states with high rural student populations in the Appalachian region. The PSP posited four components as essential for principal development: professional development, networking, mentoring, and learning plans. The aim of this qualitative study was to determine what PSP participants believed to be the most effective in terms of principal development. Results indicate that because of PSP training, rural principals grew from managers to instructional leaders and changed their mindsets and practices regarding shared leadership. Principals believed that they benefited most from the networking and coaching that the PSP provided. Future professional development for rural principals should consider a focus on opportunities to learn with and through others.

The role of locum GPs in antibiotic prescribing and stewardship: a mixed-methods study

Background: Most antibiotics are prescribed in primary care. Locum or sessional general practitioners (locums) are perceived as contributing to higher prescribing and may face barriers to engaging with antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Aim: To identify how locums’ antibiotic prescribing compares to other general practice prescribers, and how they perceive their role in antibiotic prescribing and AMS. Design and Setting: A mixed-methods study in primary care. Methods: Data on antibiotic prescribing, diagnoses, and patient and prescriber characteristics were extracted from The Health Improvement Network database. A mixed-effects logistic model was used to compare locums’ and other prescribers’ antibiotic prescribing for conditions which do not usually benefit from antibiotics. Nineteen semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with locums in England and analysed thematically. Results: Locums accounted for 11% of consultations analysed. They prescribed antibiotics more often than other GPs and nurse prescribers for cough, sore throat, asthma exacerbations and acute bronchitis. The percentage of patients receiving antibiotics for these conditions was 4% higher (on absolute scale) when consulting with locums compared to other GPs. Four themes capture the perceived influences on prescribing antibiotics and AMS: (1) Antibiotic prescribing as a complex but individual issue; (2) Nature and patterns of locum work; (3) Relationships between practices and locums; (4) Professional isolation. Conclusions: Locums contribute to higher antibiotic prescribing compared to their peers. They experience challenges but also opportunities for contributing to AMS, which should be better addressed. With an increasing proportion of locums, they have an important role in antibiotic optimisation and AMS.

The Experience of Community Neurologists Providing Care for Patients With Neurodegenerative Illness During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective:Healthcare delivery systems transformed rapidly at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to slow the spread of the virus while identifying novel methods for providing care. In many ways the pandemic impacted both persons with neurologic illness and neurologists. This study describes the perspectives and experiences of community neurologists providing care for patients with neurodegenerative illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:We conducted a qualitative study with 20 community neurologists from a multisite, comparative effectiveness trial of outpatient palliative care from July 23, 2020 to November 11, 2020. Participants were interviewed individually about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their professional and personal lives. Interviews were analyzed using matrix analysis to identify key themes.Results:Four main themes illustrated the pandemic’s impact on community neurologists: 1) challenges of the current political climate, 2) lack of support for new models of care, 3) being on the frontline of suffering, and 4) clinician self-care. Taken together, the themes capture the unusual environment in which community neurologists’ practice, the lack of clinician trust among some patients, patient and professional isolation, and opportunities to support quality care delivery.Conclusions:The COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic politics created an environment that made care provision challenging for community neurologists. Efforts to improve care delivery should proactively work to reduce clinician burnout while incorporating support for new models of care adopted due to the pandemic.

Origin Storytelling in Faculty Well-being: A Pilot Study

Background and Objectives: In 2020, approximately 47% of family physicians reported burnout. For physicians, professional burnout is implicated in damage to relationships, increased rates of alcohol and/or substance abuse, depression, and suicide. Professional isolation can be a major contributor to burnout. Organizational interventions targeted at promoting workplace community and collegiality have been effective in decreasing professional isolation. This study sought to decrease professional isolation and promote collegiality among family medicine faculty through an origin storytelling group. Methods: Family medicine faculty of a residency program in the Midwestern United States were invited to participate in an 8-week origin storytelling group. At the end of the study, individual interviews were offered for participants to reflect on the perceived impact of the process. Additionally, 1 year poststudy, open-ended email responses were invited to assess lasting effects of collegiality. Results: Fifty percent (12/24) of eligible faculty members participated in the study. Participants who completed one-on-one structured interviews shared their perspectives of the study, which allowed for the importance of the study and next directions to be identified. One-year postcompletion of the study, participants described continued changes they experienced from these groups, via open-ended, email response. Conclusion: Storytelling groups can provide acceptable, valuable, and easily-implemented contributions to initiatives that enhance physician faculty well-being.