737 Supporting Surgeons in Their Return to Training

Aim t any one time, approximately 10% of the junior doctor workforce (∼5000 doctors) take time out of training. Following the Bawa Gaba case, and with trainees shielding during the COVID pandemic, there is greater scrutiny and demand to support trainees returning to the frontline. Supported Return to Training (SuppoRTT) is a Health Education England Program designed to improve the Return-To-Training (RTT) experience. For surgical specialties there are additional challenges of reintroducing trainees to practical skills. Method e designed and facilitated the first regional SuppoRTT course for Orthopaedic Specialist Registrars, which consisted of peer and consultant-led clinical updates, forum discussions and externally commissioned professional coaching. A pre-course survey established participants’ concerns and expectations about RTT and formed the basis of discussions. A post-course survey assessed value of the course and impact on participants. Results Eight participants (6 female) attended. Grade of training on return ranged from ST3 to ST8. Main areas of concern related to colleague perception, reduced confidence with decision-making, operative skill fade, and frustrations with organisational elements of managing work-life balance. There was an overwhelmingly positive response to the support offered on our course, particularly to the discussions around RTT concerns and returning to on-calls. All respondents strongly agreed that sharing their concerns and hearing about peer experience was valuable. Conclusions High numbers of trainees take approved time out of training. RTT is associated with anxiety around performance and safety. Surgical trainees can be supported with a targeted course that offers clinical update, peer support and professional coaching.

Self-Care Strategies and Job Satisfaction in Pediatricians: What We Can Do to Prevent Burnout—Results of a Nationwide Survey

Introduction: Working in the clinical field can be a demanding experience. While reports indicate escalating burnout rates among physicians, further investigation about what physicians can do to prevent burnout is necessary. Our objective was to assess self-care levels among pediatricians and the correlation with job satisfaction in order to subsequently identify protective factors.Methods: In this nationwide, cross-sectional study, a web-based survey was distributed to all Austrian pediatricians via a mailing list of the Austrian Society of Pediatrics. Self-care was measured with a modified Professional Self-Care Scale (PSCS), which consisted of nine items on a four-point Likert scale (from 1, “totally disagree,” to 4, “totally agree”). Additional items addressed job satisfaction, peer support, and access to professional coaching.Results: The survey was distributed to 1,450 mailing list contacts, a total of 309 Austrian pediatricians completed the survey (21%). “Family” (M = 3.3) and “Friends” (M = 3.1) were the most highly rated self-care strategies. We found significant differences between pediatricians under 35 years and those aged 50 years and above (z = −4.21, p < 0.001). Peer support appeared to impact job satisfaction substantially. We found differences between pediatricians who frequently talk to colleagues about difficult situations, those who sometimes do so, and those who never do (p < 0.001), with a linear trend indicating increased job satisfaction with more frequent peer support (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Among all self-care strategies, a stable network of family and friends was highest rated, followed by balanced nutrition. Younger, male pediatricians working in hospital showed to be a vulnerable group with regard to overall self-care. Moreover, higher self-care values were found among those pediatricians who reported to receive peer support on a regular basis. We suggest combined organizational and individual interventions to promote pediatricians' well-being. Organizations should provide the possibility to select a well-balanced diet as well as space and time to consume food and cultivate a work environment that enables communication among peers and facilitates professional coaching. On the personal level, we want to encourage pediatricians to talk to trusted colleagues in challenging clinical situations and to consider working with a professional coach.

Prospects for the introduction into the System of long-term training of athletes who specialize in Martial Arts binary training sessions

The current level of development of Olympic and non-Olympic Martial Arts requires athletes and their coaches to form a sufficient level of Professional Competencies that provide high sports performance during their participation in Competitions of various ranks. The main Purpose of the Research is to determine the Essential characteristics of the Readiness of coaches who Specialize in Martial Arts to organize binary training sessions in the System of long-term training of athletes who specialize in Martial Arts with the involvement of Highly Qualified Specialists (Honored coaches, leading Scientists and Highly qualified Martial Arts Specialists). As a Result of Theoretical Research, members of the Research Group determined the Essential characteristics of the readiness of coaches who Specialize in Martial Arts to organize binary training sessions in the System of long-term training of Martial Arts athletes with the involvement of Highly Qualified Specialists (Honored coaches, leading Scientists and Highly Qualified Martial Arts Specialists) – personal Education which is formed by means of the accentuated Pedagogical Influence (taking into account Modern achievements of Science and Technology) on the formation of coaches' readiness to raise the Prestige of Ukrainian athletes who specialize in Olympic and non-Olympic Martial Arts in the International Arena, to the organization of the System of long-term training of Martial Arts athletes in different variable conditions of the Educational and Training process and ensures the coordination of their knowledge about the content and Structure of Professional coaching activities, as well as the requirements of this activity to the level of comprehensive training of athletes who Specialize in Martial Arts at different stages of their long-term training, formed Competencies for the Organization of binary training sessions (theoretical and practical, Forms of Physical Training, etc.) in the Annual Cycle of training of athletes who Specialize in Martial Arts with the opportunities and needs formed and realized by them in the Process of Professional development.

Time to Change for Mental Health and Well-being via Virtual Professional Coaching: Longitudinal Observational Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Optimal mental health yields many benefits and reduced costs to employees and organizations; however, the workplace introduces challenges to building and maintaining mental health that affect well-being. Although many organizations have introduced programming to aid employee mental health and well-being, the uptake and effectiveness of these efforts vary. One barrier to developing more effective interventions is a lack of understanding about how to improve well-being over time. This study examined not only whether employer-provided coaching is an effective strategy to improve mental health and well-being in employees but also how this intervention changes well-being in stages over time. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to determine whether BetterUp, a longitudinal one-on-one virtual coaching intervention, improves components of mental health and psychological well-being, and whether the magnitude of changes vary in stages over time. This is the first research study to evaluate the effectiveness of professional coaching through three repeated assessments, moving beyond a pre-post intervention design. The outcomes of this study will enable coaches and employers to design more targeted interventions by outlining when to expect maximal growth in specific outcomes throughout the coaching engagement. METHODS Three identical assessments were completed by 391 users of BetterUp: prior to the start of coaching, after approximately 3-4 months of coaching, and again after 6-7 months of coaching. Three scales were used to evaluate psychological and behavioral dimensions that support management of mental health: stress management, resilience, and life satisfaction. Six additional scales were used to assess psychological well-being: emotional regulation, prospection ability, finding purpose and meaning, self-awareness, self-efficacy, and social connection. RESULTS Using mixed-effects modeling, varying rates of change were observed in several dimensions of mental health and psychological well-being. Initial rapid improvements in the first half of the intervention, followed by slower growth in the second half of the intervention were found for prospection ability, self-awareness, self-efficacy, social connection, emotional regulation, and a reduction in stress (range of unstandardized β values for each assessment: .10-.19). Life satisfaction improved continuously throughout the full intervention period (β=.13). Finding purpose in meaning at work and building resilience both grew continuously throughout the coaching intervention, but larger gains were experienced in the second half of the intervention (β=.08-.18), requiring the full length of the intervention to realize maximal growth. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate the effectiveness of BetterUp virtual one-on-one coaching to improve psychological well-being, while mitigating threats to mental health such as excessive and prolonged stress, low resilience, and poor satisfaction with life. The improvements across the collection of outcomes were time-dependent, and provide important insights to users and practitioners about how and when to expect maximal improvements in a range of interrelated personal and professional outcomes.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF COMPETITIVE SWIMMING BETWEEN EUROPEAN AND B&H SWIMMERS IN THE 50M DISCIPLINE

The subject of the research is competitive swimming in Europe (EUR) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) from 2008 to 2018, discipline of 50m freestyle for male seniors. The problems of the research are trends, dynamics and differences between swimmers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and swimmers from Europe. The objectives of the research are: 1.To identify trends in swimming development in EUR and B&H from 2008 to 2018. 2. To determine the statistical significance of differences between EUR swimmers and B&H swimmers. 3. To evaluate the results for 2020 based on linear functions. In accordance with the set goals of the research, appropriate statistical methods and tests were applied, which enabled an exact answer to the set hypotheses and goals. The variables were being monitored in this study: 1.The time of the eight finalists 2. The time of the first three swimmers. 3. The Winner time. 4. The Record time. Based on the achieved results, it can be validly and reliably concluded that there is generally an improvement in results for EUR swimmers and B&H swimmers. It is statistically proven that there is a significant difference in the achieved results. European swimmers showed better results that were statistically significant. Linear functions i.e trends indicate that there is a small difference. There are more reasons for lagging of B&H’s swimmers behind the European swimmers. In the post-war period there are no elementary material, professional, coaching and other assumptions that enable better results either in swimming or in other sports in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Coaching self-defense under COVID-19: challenges and solutions in the police and civilian domain

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a general shutdown of police and civilian self-defense training. While means of distance learning such as online teaching appear to be feasible for theory dominant subjects addressing cognitive resources of the learner, combat-related practices like self-defense trainings don´t seem to fit into the realm of virtual learning due to their bodily foundation. This is made clear by the collective perplexity of police and civilian coaches, gyms and organizations, on how to proceed with training during the lockdown in general, while approaches of distance learning (e.g., online learning) have rarely been considered. In the following article, we tackle the situation of police and civilian self-defense coaches in times of Corona. In a first step, contextual changes and challenges of coaching self-defense are identified through the lenses of a professional coaching model. In line with basic assumptions of ecological dynamics, adaptability seems to be the decisive resource for the coaching and training of self-defense in times of Corona. As an example for such an adaptation in training practice, a conceptual framework for distance-based self-defense training in the civilian and police domain is presented. This framework is adjusted to the respective requirements of physical distancing and adopted to novel security matters within the public sphere caused by the current regulations. In sum, the article attempts to provide ideas and orientation for police and civilian self-defense coaches as well as for their own development possibilities.

“Taking the most delicate care”: Beginnings of a Mentoring Relationship between Teachers and Coaches in an Australian School

We explore the beginnings of professional coaching/mentoring relationships between teachers and university mentors in an Australian school. Often overlooked, initial steps are crucial, holding the seeds of eventual success or failure. Our mentoring program was undertaken in a large, independent, co-educational school in suburban Melbourne, Victoria. In our constructivist study, underpinned by our desire to explore on the lived experiences of others, we report on the understandings of three of the mentors/researchers and the teachers that they worked with. We gathered data from teacher-written statements and mentor journals. Using thematic analysis, we developed our findings, performing epoché as we hold both insider and outsider mentor/researcher perspectives. We present our findings under two broad headings: The prior understandings held by all and addresses positions, assertions and anticipations; and First meetings, finding accords, noticing resistances, and recognizing difficulties. We found that the apparent simplicity of first steps masked great complexity. No one entered the first meeting as an “empty vessel.” Some relationships were more problematic than others. Our goals as transformational educator/mentors were to foster deep collaborative, professional relationships with our mentees but were hampered by inherent differences of understanding with the school who sought transactional coaches. Clarity in intent from the outset is crucial to program success.

The role and impact of executive coaching in the Maltese Public Sector

PurposeThe present study aims to conduct a critical review of an existing set of practices within the Maltese public sector.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on interpretivism (people-centred approach) embedded in a pragmatic research paradigm (the use of mixed methods).FindingsMisconceptions about the role and practice of executive coaching in Malta relates to the similar roles ascribed to mentoring, supervision, therapy, consultation, coaching, audit and watchdog under the misnomer of “coaching”.Research limitations/implicationsThe main contribution of this research is to the community of professional practitioners as well as to the Maltese central government to improve managerial effectiveness in the Maltese public sector with several endorsed policy-level recommendations presented in the study.Practical implicationsThe results suggest a restructuring of a well-defined, structures, systems and dynamics within the Maltese public administration, the ability by senior management including senior public officers (SPOs) to recognise high-potential talents, the need to expand leadership capacity, the establishment of a professional coaching body and a national coaching network framework.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the role and impact of executive coaching in the Maltese public sector using quantitative and qualitative empirical data.