Some patients leave a scar on you
Some of the same traits that make us effective surgeons – autonomy, courage, and leadership – also make us particularly unlikely to seek outside counsel. We fear that acknowledging our humanity will be perceived as a sign of weakness. While it has become common practice in most hospitals to have programs for so-called “second victims” – for example, emergency workers, nurses, and others caring for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing – it is uncommon for surgeons to take advantage of these resources. Surgeons tend to rely on each other, like soldiers in battle, for advice, consolation, and improvement. Professionals call it “peer support” and it forms the basis of some successful peer-to-peer rehabilitation programs.
Over the next few months, we hope to initiate a dialogue among members of the SVS community about how we can learn to best care for each other. Few of us have any formal training in how to ask for or provide assistance. We hope that you will share your stories, techniques, and best practices.
Who do you turn to for advice in times of adversity? A spouse, trusted senior partner, a mentor, a defense lawyer, a priest, a bottle? How do you respond to your partners facing adversity? How do you recognize in yourself, or your colleagues, that an adverse outcome has affected your ability to deliver safe, compassionate care? How do you listen for telltale signs that substance abuse, depression, or suicidal ideation have entered the equation? And what should you do next?
I’m sure that, like me, most of you are burned out on burnout. And while I don’t diminish the importance of personal resilience, I also think that we as surgeons can learn to be better caregivers for each other. That we can learn from others how to ask the right questions, and how to be more attentive listeners. Vascular surgery is undoubtedly an immensely rewarding career, but it can bring with it very intense personal challenges. Through the resources of the SVS, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of peer support, to provide a forum to share our stories, and to develop programs that will assist each of us in acquiring the tools and skills to be better partners. Your comments are encouraged.
John F Eidt, MD, is a vascular surgeon at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital, Dallas.
