241 - Enabling Educators to Balance Honest Assessment and Compassion for Burned Out Learners

Poster Number: 241
Publication Number: 241.418

Andrea Dean, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States; Gal Barak, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Linessa M. Zuniga, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Barrett Fromme, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Dana M. Foradori, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States

Background: Burnout is prevalent among medical trainees and impedes work effectiveness and ability to learn. Frontline educators in the Clinical Learning Environment (CLE) are situated to identify burnout and support learners, but wellness interventions have not historically targeted the CLE. They are also responsible for assessment, but learner burnout exacerbates barriers to honest feedback. However, feedback sessions offer an opportunity to simultaneously guide and correct a trainee toward growth as well as provide support when burnout is present.

Objective: We sought to prepare frontline educators to manage learner burnout in the CLE and equip them with a feedback method that balances critique and compassion. We designed and implemented a workshop aiming to (1) improve participants’ conceptualization of learner burnout in the CLE, (2) enable them to identify burnout manifestations, and (3) empower them to provide honest assessments and simultaneously support trainees using the novel GetINBurnOUT feedback method.

Design/Methods: Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and principles of high-quality feedback as a framework, we developed the GetINBurnOUT method [Figure 1]. To disseminate it, we designed a 60-75 minute workshop, driven by Kolb’s theory of experiential learning. Content centered on advanced burnout knowledge, application of MBI to the CLE, and practicing the GetINBurnOUT method. Participants were asked to complete a post-workshop survey and 6-month follow up survey.

Results: The workshop has been presented by invitation six times at local, regional, and national medical education conferences and faculty development sessions to over 160 participants. Participants rated the workshop favorably and all planned to incorporate the material into their practice [Table 1]. Comments emphasized the importance of the topic, benefits of the interactive approach, and practicality of the GetINBurnOUT method. Follow-up data is limited to date but suggests use of the GetINBurnOUT method in practice.Conclusion(s): The GetINBurnOUT method exemplifies how frontline educators can be engaged in efforts to address burnout in medical trainees. Attendance and invitations by past participants to present at their institutions indicate interest in wellness initiatives that target the CLE, and evaluations show that the workshop, including the GetINBurnOUT method, enhances participants’ understanding of learner burnout and how to manage it in the CLE. Next steps include ongoing dissemination, collection of longitudinal data and cognitive interviews with those who have delivered and received GetINBurnOUT feedback.
Figure 1Equipped with knowledge gained in the workshop, the GetINBurnOut method guides educators to identify, name and normalize burnout, then deliver high-quality feedback, and conclude with a brief evidence-guided intervention.
Table 1Post-workshop surveys of participants (n=36) demonstrated favorable scores for materials, interactive activities, and ability to meet workshop objectives.