Healing from the Heart: A Burnout Prevention and Resilience Curriculum Innovation for Health Professionals in Underserved Areas.

Background/

Objectives

Healthcare burnout is a pervasive problem affecting both professionals and patients. Resilience training may be especially important for healthcare teams practicing in underserved areas. This article describes the development and pilot testing of a curriculum innovation developed as part of California Area Health Education Centers' (CA AHEC) resilience training program.

Methods

A team of experts from CA AHEC and Hennepin Healthcare Systems led the development of a whole-person approach to resilience for health professionals, trainees, and other healthcare workers in medically underserved areas. A curriculum was piloted with 7 two-hour Train-the-Trainer video conferences and 1 six-hour in-person workshop. Participants (n = 44) included representatives from 12 CA AHEC centers. Attendance was tracked, and pre/post Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (KSA) and Mini Z Burnout Reduction surveys were administered. An engagement survey was fielded after training.

Results

Attendance averaged 26 participants per session. Engagement surveys reflected high engagement, utility, and program appreciation, with KSA surveys reflecting large gains in understanding burnout mechanisms/prevention strategies (13.5% high pre- vs. 94.7% post-, p < 0.001; Absolute difference of 81.22, 95% CI 66.87-95.58), large Cohen's h Effect Size (ES) of 1.9) and the perceived ability to use the training to cope with stress (8.11% high pre- vs. 94.7% post, p < 0.001; Absolute Difference of 86.63%, 95% CI 73.55-99.71, large Cohen's h ES of 2.1). Mini-Z burnout scores remained relatively unchanged. Mindfulness, mind/body approaches to resilience, community support, and system change were rated as the most impactful curricular aspects.

Conclusions

This whole-person resilience curriculum represents an emerging approach to healthcare burnout. While the curriculum was greatly appreciated by attendees, working conditions and burnout remained unchanged, suggesting a need for programs that address underlying systemic stressors.