The effect of surgical complications on ENT trainees

Abstract

Background The ‘second victim phenomenon’ is a term attributed to the traumatic effect a medical error can have on healthcare professionals. Patient safety incidents have been shown to occur in as many as one in seven patients in hospital. These incidents cause significant, potentially devastating, trauma to patients and their relatives, and can have deep and long-lasting effects on the health professionals involved. These incidents can have a negative impact on doctors’ emotional wellbeing; their professional practice in relation to this impact has not been extensively investigated in surgical trainees. Method A survey of UK otolaryngology trainees was conducted to investigate the effects of complications and medical errors on trainees, and examine how these are discussed within departments. Results and conclusion The findings suggest that further training is required and would be warmly received by otolaryngology trainees as part of higher surgical training.

Resident Burnout and Well‐being in Otolaryngology and Other Surgical Specialties: Strategies for Change

“…53 Among urology residents, self-reported burnout alone was predictive of suicidal ideation (OR, 7.6). 53 These Increased involvement in procedures 15 Perceived lack of independence 2 End of academic year 18 Discomfort approaching supervisor 26 Insufficient exercise 15 Insufficient time for extracurricular interests 2 Lack of work-life balance 26,28 Children 19 Female trainee 2,14,16 Married/partnered as a female 14,28 Relationship stress 2 Lack of spousal support 28 Distance from support system 26 Training affects partner/family 26 Protected nonclinical time 13 Mentorship 18,60 PGY-1 and PGY-5 15,16 Coaching on how to deal with nontechnical aspects of training 63,77 Program-supported wellness activities 63,66 Mindfulness training 15,63,64 Self-efficacy 2,18 Satisfaction with career choice and work-life balance 2 Exercise 16 Meditation 65 Nutrition 63 Relationship stability 2 Married/partnered as a male trainee 14…”

Preparing Trainees to Rebound from Surgical Complications

“…Of those residents, 86% believed that coaching on handling complications would be helpful. These residents did have access to an online portfolio tool for reflecting on various events throughout their training, but 81% of residents felt this was not helpful in these scenarios [1]. This study clearly demonstrates the need for further formal education in the sphere of handling surgical complications.…”

“…Patient safety events are estimated to happen in one of every seven patients, and an estimated 80% of healthcare professionals have been involved in an event that affected them emotionally [1]. In one study of otolaryngology residents in the UK, 94% of residents reported being involved in surgical complication with 61% of them reporting they had not received enough training on the non-technical aspects of handling complications, such as discussing complications with colleagues, confidence, and resilience [1]. Of those residents, 86% believed that coaching on handling complications would be helpful.…”

Intraoperative adverse events among surgeons in Singapore: a multicentre cross-sectional study on impact and support

“…Moving forward, normalising emotional responses, encouraging disclosure, whilst making use of current platforms such as M&M meetings would be an optimal suggestion to cultivate a more positive work culture [ 10 , 48 ]. In instances where surgeons had supportive environments, they shared that M&M meetings aided their learning [ 17 ], and they felt more comfortable speaking with their colleagues [ 11 , 13 , 15 , 21 , 22 ]. By enhancing the support network for surgeons and fostering a nurturing workplace atmosphere, we can enhance the notable positive outcomes following adverse events, or posttraumatic growth [ 50 ].…”