Serving Refugees, Rediscovering Medicine, and Recovering from Burnout.

J Med Humanit

George Washington University, 2121 I St NW, Washington D.C., 20052, USA.

Published: December 2024

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, I found myself struggling with debilitating professional burnout as a physician assistant (PA) in emergency medicine. Despite initial fears and uncertainties, I chose to volunteer at a refugee center in Wroclaw, Poland, where I provided medical care to Ukrainian war victims. This experience proved to be a transformative journey, reigniting my passion for patient-centered care and addressing my burnout. Establishing a profound connection between medical care and humanity reminded me of the reasons I entered the medical profession. Practicing medicine in a refugee center, free from the constraints of the healthcare business model, allowed me to reconnect with the core values of my profession. This experience underscored the therapeutic potential of volunteering as a means to combat professional burnout and fostered a renewed commitment to patient care upon my return home. In an era where clinician burnout is increasingly prevalent, this narrative explores the importance of rekindling one's passion for medicine by returning to its fundamental purpose: compassionate, patient-centered care.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10912-024-09922-5DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

professional burnout
8
refugee center
8
medical care
8
patient-centered care
8
burnout
5
care
5
serving refugees
4
refugees rediscovering
4
medicine
4
rediscovering medicine
4

Similar Publications

Introduction: The well-being of trauma-affected children and youth in residential care settings is contingent upon the well-being of the workers who care for them, who are increasingly expected to provide care in a trauma-informed manner. The well-being of residential care workers (RCWs) may be impacted by their own histories of adversity, their capacity individually and collectively to navigate to resources that sustain their well-being (resilience), and current perceptions of their professional quality of life.

Objective: This study aimed to fill a research gap by canvassing the perspectives of RCWs to determine what and how they need to be supported in their work.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: This study aimed to explore perceived work stress and its association with burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction and the mediating effect of psychological flexibility on these relationships.

Method: Two hundred and fifty-one disability support workers across Australia reported on work stress, psychological flexibility, burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction through an online anonymous survey.

Results: Perceived work stress was found to have a significant relationship with burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

China witnessed an Omicron COVID-19 outbreak at the end of 2022. During this period, medical crowding and enormous pressure on the healthcare systems occurred, which might result in the occurrence of occupational burnout among healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aims to investigate the prevalence of occupational burnout and associated mental conditions, such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, perceived social support, resilience, and mindfulness among HCWs of the Chinese mainland during the Omicron COVID-19 outbreak, and to explore the potential risk and protective factors influencing occupational burnout of HCWs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Professional psychology trainees often experience burnout during their clinical training. In a pilot randomized controlled trial, we tested the feasibility, acceptability, utility, and preliminary efficacy of a 10-minute, online single-session intervention (SSI), designed to address burnout, hopelessness, and perceived agency in psychology trainees. In March 2023, 151 doctoral students with symptoms of stress or burnout in accredited, U.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

» Increased professional, personal, and emotional stress can have compounding negative effects on physicians, which can be detrimental to teamwork dynamics, workplace environment, productivity, and personal well-being. Orthopaedic surgery, in particular, is a medical specialty that demonstrates high workplace demands, elevated rates of burnout, and low workplace diversity.» Professional coaching can help combat these challenges and facilitate professional success by providing an outlet for discussion and planning toward one's career development and goals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!