The Resilient Physician

Physicians today may face more stress than any other group of professionals. Long hours, continual training, and constant change in the workplace complicate their already stressful lives. This book should help physicians maintain control of their emotions, their practices and their lives.

Written by a veteran clinician for medical practitioners of all disciplines and levels of experience, this concise pocket guide presents a frank discussion about facilitating resiliency in the face of the personal and professional challenges of a medical career. Furthermore, it provides proven techniques and suggestions for stress management aimed at the maintenance of a more successful practice and peaceful life. First defining and elucidating the problems of stress plaguing the field, including burnout, substance abuse and suicide, the bulk of the book presents and discusses ways to combat and master the everyday stress of the "medical marriage," such as engaging in mindfulness training, learning to forgive oneself and others, listening to your own body, utilizing time away from medicine, and performing simple acts of kindness and gratitude. Issues surrounding the inevitability of mistakes, the pursuit of perfectionism, happiness and success are then examined and reflected upon, as are stress management considerations from other cultures and literary sources. Equal parts personal and practical, The Resilient Physician is a must-have for any clinician or medical professional seeking better understanding and outcomes when handling the constant demands of this high-stress - but ultimately rewarding - career.

Keeping doctors happy and productive requires a thorough understanding of the systemic causes and consequences of physician stress, as well as the role of resilience in maintaining a healthy mental state. The pressure of making life-or-death decisions along with those associated with the day-to-day challenges of doctoring can lead to poor patient care and communication, patient dissatisfaction, absenteeism, reductions in productivity, job dissatisfaction, and lowered retention. This edited volume will provide a comprehensive tool for understanding and promoting physician stress resilience. Specifically, the book has six interrelated objectives that, collectively, would advance the evidence-based understanding of (1) the extent to which physicians experience and suffer from work-related stress; (2) the various manifestations, syndromes, and reaction patterns directly caused by work-related stress; (3) the degree to which physicians are resilient in that they are successful or not successful in coping with these stressors; (4) the theories and direct evidence that account for the resilience; (5) the programs during and following medical school which help to promote resilience; and (6) the agenda for future theory, research, and intervention efforts for the next generation of physicians.

Today's healthcare environment is packed with mounting pressure and rapid change which demands a resilient leader.Doug identifies foundational, yet actionable, principles that healthy physicians practice to be resilient. To build a stronger resiliency muscle, Doug takes you on a journey of uncovering sustainable strategies to do so. By applying these strategies, you will experience freedom from self-limiting beliefs and be open to engage a thriving mindset. The quest is worth it!

Professional burnout is an epidemic in America. Approximately half of physicians and nurses are affected and at risk for themselves and their patients. Much has been written about professional burnout. The term was originally coined in the 1970s by American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger to describe the consequences of severe stress and high ideals experienced by people working in "helping" professions. Since then, many books have been written to address this looming national public health crisis. But, unfortunately, there has been much less written from a solution standpoint: getting to the root cause of why this is occurring now more than ever. The Resilient Healthcare Organization engages readers focusing on physicians and healthcare professionals and their experiences and how they overcame a loss of enthusiasm for work, feelings of cynicism, and a low sense of personal accomplishment. The feelings of emotional exhaustion are characterized by depersonalization and perceived ineffectiveness. These are the cardinal features that define "burnout" and affect almost 50% of physicians and 30–70% of nurses. This book addresses why burnout is viewed as a threat and how it can be fought. The author discusses the contributing factors and solutions at the health system and societal level. Additionally, this book explores the current and future etiology and impacts on physicians and healthcare professionals, with a significant emphasis on solutions at both the individual level and the system level. Contributors: Patricia S. Normand MD, Bruce Flareau, MD, Kathleen Ferket, MSN, APRN, Daniel Edelman, DO, and Peter B. Angood, MD.

This book aims to help identify pre-existing adaptive traits and positive perspectives in resident trainees, while challenging those that are less adaptive by building a formal curriculum for medical education that focuses on the humanistic aspects of medicine. Humanism in medicine is threatened by the false narrative that good physicians are superhumans who do not have their own needs. Written by experts in the field, this book is designed to be a concise, integrated guide to resilience during residency training. Through this guide, trainees learn (i) the usefulness of psychotherapeutic strategies for their own stress management and well-being; (ii) techniques and strategies that are useful in the practice of medicine; and (iii) to consider lifestyle modifications to improve physical and psychological health and well-being, through identification of positive and negative lifestyle factors influencing physicians’ response to stress. Since it is designed for busy trainees and physicians, this volume meticulously provides easy-to-use, evidence-based learning tools and therapeutic techniques, including case studies, skill-building exercises, self-test questionnaires, illustrations, useful practice-reminder tips, and other features. Humanism and Resilience in Residency Training is an excellent resource for all medical trainees and professionals who need to incorporate humanism and resilience in their practice, both for accreditation requirements and for personal well-being. This includes medical students and residents, psychiatrists, addiction medicine specialists, family physicians, medical education professionals, hospitalists, nurses, and all healthcare providers

Rediscover the joy of being a great doctor! "All would gain from reading this timely and thoughtful book from two of the acknowledged intellectual leaders of the profession."--Professor Trisha Greenhalgh OBE, University College London. 5 STAR DOODY'S REVIEW! "It is clearly appropriate for physicians around the world....This is an extraordinary one-of-a-kind book for all clinicians as they take time to consider where they are and where they are going in their everyday lives. Well done!"--Doody's Review Service Advance praise for First Do No Harm: "A challenging book for the thinking doctor!"--Professor John Murtagh, AM (from the foreword) "… medical practice can make for a stressful life and most doctors tend to dodge, rather than confront this impact. First Do No Harm starts with the preliminary 'do no harm to your own health as doctor'."--Professor Chris van Weel, President, World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) "This is a wonderful resource that will make a real difference to the health and effectiveness of medical practitioners. Finding balance and building resilience are challenges for us all in our busy lives and this is just what the doctor ordered."--Chris Mitchell, President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners "The perfect personal prescription for the busy doctor."-- Professor Deborah Saltman, AM, Brighton and Sussex Medical School. "This inspiring book calls for a more supportive medical culture to assist us to become more resilient doctors."--Dr. Gabrielle Casper, immediate past chair of the Medical Women's International Association First Do No Harm provides medical practitioners with information and resources on strategies for self care as an essential element of their professional life. It aims to encourage medical practitioners to recognize and discuss the challenges facing them, promote self care as an integral and accepted part of the professional life of medical practitioners, and assists medical practitioners to develop useful strategies for self care. Rowe and Kidd explore the too often ignored issue of physician self-care and highlight the dangers of ignoring this problem. It is a timely examination of the troubles doctors the world over face regarding their work-life balance and receiving mental health care. The statistics surrounding physician self harm are alarming and even as early as 1858, physicians in England noticed that a higher suicide rate occured among physicians when compared to the general population. This trend has certainly persisted to the present day, with female doctors at particular risk. This excessive risk of suicide among female doctors illuminates the need to tackle issues of stress and mental health experienced by doctors. With their extensive medical and professional experience, the authors have created a legacy to be shared with doctors worldwide, at all stages of their careers. In responding to the new challenges of 21st-century medicine and the medical workforce shortage, they advocate for a new meaning of the doctors' ancient creed. They propose eight essential principles towards being a resilient doctor: Make home a sanctuary Value strong relationships Have an annual preventive health assessment Control stress, not people Recognize conflict as a opportunity Manage bullying and violence assertively Make our medical organizations work for us Create a legacy

"Professional burnout is an epidemic in America and Europe. Approximately half of physicians and nurses are impaired and at risk for themselves and their patients. Much has been written about professional burnout. The term was originally coined in the 1970s by American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger to describe the consequences of severe stress and high ideals experienced by people working in "helping" professions. Since then, many self-help books have been written to address this looming national public health crisis. But unfortunately, there has been much less written from a personal triumph and solution standpoint on getting to the root cause of why this is occurring now more than ever. The Resilient Healthcare Organization engages readers with personal anecdotes from physicians and healthcare professionals and their experiences and how they overcame a loss of enthusiasm for work, feelings of cynicism and a low sense of personal accomplishment. The feelings of emotional exhaustion characterized by depersonalization and perceived ineffectiveness. These are the cardinal features that define "burnout" and effect almost 50% of physicians and 30%-70% of nurses. This book addresses why burnout is viewed as a threat and how it can be fought. The author discusses contributing factors and solutions at the health system and societal level. Additionally, this book explores the current and future etiology and impacts on physicians and healthcare professionals with a significant emphasis on solutions at both the individual level and the system level"--