Mindfulness & Resilience

5 Things: A Curated Collection

Wellness & Support

Originally posted March 9, 2021

by Teresa M. Chan (@TChanMD)

This has been a long hard year for all of us. With a year of pandemic life behind us, there is now a light at the end of the tunnel... but we still many months of continued vaccinations and physical distancing that will be on the horizon. This blog post summarizes some content from the MacPFD collection and beyond that may be of interest to you as a leader, a teacher, or a person.

This video is as relevant now as it was in April of 2020... Perhaps even more so. During the time of COVID-19 many of us need a reminder that we must be patient and compassionate with yourselves above all else.

In this recent special episode of the MacPFD Spark Podcast, we have compiled discussions from five different healthcare professionals over three different segments to talk about managing the weight of adapting to new working conditions in the pandemic setting. Also introduced in this episode is a new initiative for peer support known as the "Pandemic Pals" or "Battle Buddies" program - listen in as each of these talks delves more into implementing coping strategies in response to this pandemic.

Featured Guest(s) - Dr. Natasja Menezes & Dr. Enas el Gouhary with Safa Ayari & Dr. Sandra Moll with Dr. Nancy Carter 

Wellness for many means feeling included and welcomed - but these require others to understand our journey. As faculty, it is our job to open our minds and hearts to the experiences of our learners who may have a very different vantage point than our own.

In this edition of the MacPFD minutes series, this video features Dr. Susan Jack from the McMaster University School of Nursing presenting about her new book club initiative (Reading for ReaSON) that seeks to help participants develop empathy and understanding for members of the BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of colour) community through reading narratives and opening up a safe space for discussion.

Featuring Dr. Brigitte K. Smith (University of Utah), Vice-Chair Education for the Department of Surgery, this series of videos takes us through some of the evidence behind how we can create psychologically safe learning environments. 

The concept of “psychological safety” in the workplace has been well described, including in medicine and healthcare, with a focus on work engagement, quality improvement, error reporting and team performance.  An emerging body of literature has begun to explore the application of psychological safety principles to medical education and the clinical learning environment.  Faculty and programs that foster psychologically safe learning environments may enhance learning outcomes, mitigate burnout, and improve patient safety.  Identifying and implementing strategies to intentionally establish psychological safety for students and residents are critical to the future of medical education.