Promoting Student Wellness and Self-Care During COVID 19: The Role of Institutional Wellness

Stress and burnout are serious and growing threats to the mental health of medical trainees. Recent estimates of burnout in medical students and residents are quite high, with more than half displaying signs of stress, anxiety and depression. The COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened the state of poor mental health in these student populations. It is the position of LSU Health Shreveport Office of Institutional Wellness that a critical need exists for academic institutions to evaluate challenges to self-care and wellbeing in medical trainees. Such evaluations may pave the way for the development of effective institutional wellness initiatives and strategies, with the goal of reducing barriers to self-care to promote better mental and physical health, and facilitate improved quality of life in medical students and residents.

I've Got an Idea! Do IDEA Boards Facilitate Improved Completion of Wellness Focused Activities in a College of Nursing?

Background: In any given academic department there are many ideas discussed to promote wellness, yet it is often difficult to move specific wellness activity ideas from the initial conception stage to the implementation and evaluation stages. Wellness Committees are formed in departments where proposed ideas are generated. However, the same issue of lack of follow-through persists. In order to provide better follow-through and completion of wellness activities, an IDEA board was piloted by a Wellness Committee in a College of Nursing.Aim: This pilot project was implemented to determine the feasibility and utility of using an IDEA board to implement and complete wellness initiatives within a College of Nursing.Methods: An online mixed-methods survey was used to evaluate the use of an IDEA board within a Wellness Committee (n = 9) in a College of Nursing over a one-year period.Results: Results of the pilot study were positive and encouraging. Committee members found the visual representation helpful in guiding the group through the process of idea identification generation to idea implementation and evaluation.Conclusions: Using an IDEA board to guide the process of proposed wellness activities may facilitate improved completion of activities.

A Positive Depression Screen Is Associated with Emergency Medicine Resident Burnout and Is not Affected by the Implementation of a Wellness Curriculum

Introduction: While burnout is occupation-specific, depression affects individuals comprehensively. Research on interventions for depression in emergency medicine (EM) residents is limited. Objectives: We sought to obtain longitudinal data on positive depression screens in EM residents, assess their association with burnout, and determine whether implementation of a wellness curriculum affected the rate of positive screens. Methods: In February 2017, we administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire two-question depression screen at 10 EM residencies. At five intervention sites, a year-long wellness curriculum was then introduced while five control sites agreed not to introduce new wellness initiatives during the study period. Study instruments were re-administered in August 2017 and February 2018. Results: Of 382 residents, 285 participated in February 2017; 40% screened positive for depression. In August 2017, 247/386 residents participated; 27.9% screened positive for depression. In February 2018, 228/386 residents participated; 36.2% screened positive. A positive depression screen was associated with higher burnout. There were similar rates of positive screens at the intervention and control sites. Conclusion: Rates of positive depression screens in EM residents ranged between 27.9% and 40%. Residents with a positive screen reported higher levels of burnout. Rates of a positive screen were unaffected by introduction of a wellness curriculum.

Targeted Wellness Initiatives Are Most Effective for Reducing Otolaryngology Resident Burnout

Objective: Investigate the effect of a targeted wellness program on burnout in Otolaryngology residents. Methods: Residents and faculty collaboratively developed a program aimed at improving resident wellness. Program implementation began in July of 2018 and after 1 year, residents evaluated the program’s effects on burnout. We used the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and a Likert scale to evaluate the effects of the program. Results: After 1 year of the resident wellness program, the MBI results showed an increase in the number of residents in the “engaged” category and a decrease in those rated as “burnout.” Residents rated favorably initiatives grouped into the following themes: time away from work, faculty engaging with residents outside of the hospital environment, efforts to enhance residents’ self-efficacy, fostering a positive culture among residents, and providing easy access to physical activity. The majority of initiatives were targeted to the “culture of wellness” domain, as defined by the Stanford Well MD framework. Our program targeted to a lesser extent the other 2 domains, “efficiency of practice” and “personal resilience.” Conclusion: After 1 year, the wellness program resulted in a trend toward improving burnout. Future efforts should be focused on targeting the multidimensional drivers of burnout as defined by established wellness frameworks. Realizing new stressors brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic will also be an area of active effort and research.

An Interview With Chief Kennedy of the Chula Vista, CA Police Department

Chief Kennedy, of the Chula Vista Police Department in California, is interviewed about her experiences as a police chief. She provides her unique perspective about her approach to policing and the path she took to her current position. She discusses educational and training requirements to become an officer in her department and how she works to recruit and retain officers. She describes different officer wellness initiatives and philosophies. She provides information about what it is like to be a female officer as well as a female administrator in law enforcement. Further, the interview includes a discussion of recent technological and innovative initiatives. Specifically, she describes a cutting-edge drone program designed to improve officer safety and effectiveness, which is serving as a model of other departments nationwide. Chief Kennedy also discusses the unique experience of policing near the US-Mexico border.