Dr. Lauren Dunn, and her co-investigators, Drs. Edward Nemergut, Julie Huffmyer and Bhiken Naik, were awarded a Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research grant title: “Bundle of Love: The Effect of Self-CARE (Compassion, Appreciation, Rest, and Exercise) on Anesthesiology Resident Wellness.”
Anesthesiologists face a high risk for burnout which may jeopardize patient care and result in impaired social relationships and increased risk for depression and suicide. Education during residency training on how to cope with and reduce stress is essential to prevent the loss of early-career anesthesiologists and improve physician wellness in our specialty. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic contributed to unprecedented levels of physical and mental fatigue, stress and burnout due to increased clinical workloads, longer shifts, disruption to sleep and work-life balance. Physical distancing requirements necessitated a shift to online learning and demonstrated a pressing need for novel tools and interventions to support physician health and wellness.
The goal of this grant is to investigate the effect of a self-CARE (Compassion, Appreciation, Rest and Exercise) education bundle consisting of training in mindful self-compassion, an online community forum and daily ecological momentary intervention to improve physician well-being and reduce burnout.
UVA is one of 4 anesthesiology residency programs participating in the study. Participants will be provided with an OURA ring activity tracker to monitor their sleep and activity and be asked to complete short weekly health and wellness questionnaires on their personal smart phone. All residents interested in participating should contact Dr. Dunn or study coordinator David Scalzo for more information.
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