University of Leicester
Browse

Trainee doctors’ experiences of learning and wellbeing while working in Intensive Care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study using appreciative inquiry

Download (1.43 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2024-03-27, 10:08 authored by Jennifer Warren, Emma Plunkett, James Rudge, Christina Stamoulis, Tomasz Torlinski, Carolyn Tarrant, Randeep Mullhi

Objectives Concern about trainee work-related well-being has been raised in recent years and is the subject of several reviews, reports and research studies. This study aimed to understand the experiences of trainees working in a large intensive care unit during the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic from an educational and operational perspective in order to highlight what worked and what could be improved.


Design A qualitative study using peer-to-peer semistructured interviews, developed using appreciative inquiry methodology, was conducted during July 2020. Responses were analysed using a thematic analysis technique.


Setting A large, tertiary intensive care unit in the UK.


Participants All trainees in anaesthesia and intensive care working on the intensive care unit during the first surge were invited to participate.


Results Forty interviews were conducted and four over-arching themes were identified. These were: feeling safe and supported; physical demands; the emotional burden of caring; and a sense of fulfilment, value and personal development. Positive aspects of the organisational response to the pandemic included communication, personal protective equipment supply, team working and well-being support. Suggestions for improvement focused on rest facilities, rota patterns and hierarchies, creating opportunities for reflection and ensuring continued educational and training opportunities despite operational demands.


Conclusions Trainees described opportunities for learning and fulfilment, as well as challenges, in working through a pandemic. Trainees described their needs and how well these were met during the pandemic. Ideas for improvement most frequently related to basic needs including safety and fatigue, but suggestions also related to supporting learning and development. The appreciative inquiry methodology of the project facilitated effective reflection on positive aspects of trainee experiences.

History

Citation

BMJ Open 2021;11:e049437

Author affiliation

Health Sciences

Version

  • VoR (Version of Record)

Published in

BMJ Open

Volume

11

Issue

5

Publisher

BMJ Publishing Group

issn

2044-6055

Acceptance date

2021-04-28

Copyright date

2021

Available date

2024-03-27

Language

en

Data Access Statement

Study data can be provided upon suitable request to the corresponding author.

Rights Retention Statement

  • No

Usage metrics

    University of Leicester Publications

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC