Dr. Beatriz Olson MD, FACP

When we are giving a presentation or a workshop we are there to help inform and guide a conversation. I find that having empathy for the audience and myself is always a good way to start. Participants asking questions have different reasons and intentions in doing so. Facing each question with open mindfulness and non-judgement allows one to respond with best knowledge and authenticity. Sometimes we just don’t know the answer. That’s OK. No one knows everything about a topic. If time allows, one can ask the questioner, or the group, if they have information they can add to the group discussion. Coming from a place of non-judgement, curiosity and compassion everyone present is served.

Physicians are prone to develop empathy fatigue. This is part of the learning journey we need totake to not burnout and maintain wellbeing. We must develop boundaries between our patients suffering and ourselves in order to access the best therapy for them and retain our own integrity. Healthy boundaries save lives and we are not less caring or committed by doing so. Physicians deserve empathy and self compassion and part of this work is setting limits without guilt.

When facing a challenging problem with an employee, having a generative conversation matters. It is important to enter this with calm, centeredness, openness and effort to have the right intension. Always start with the positive qualities of the person, then mention the problem with clarity of what “I“ have perceived of the circumstance. Listen presently and deeply to your employee’s perspective on the issue. Assume that this person is trying their best. Are their family or they physically and emotionally ok? Is there lack of understanding of the task? Are skills needed that were assumed to be present? Create a safe environment to brainstorm how to improve the situation. Plan on follow up “checking meetings” for bilateral accountability.

As a physician, I find helpful to create self-care pauses throughout the day by walking to the sink and washing my hands, after a patient leaves and before the next one arrives. I do this instead of using gel hand sanitizers. The walk to the sink incorporates body movement and opportunity to feel my feet on the ground. I focus then on the cleansing sensation of water and soap on my hands. In this ritual I intentionally let go of the energetic hold of the previous patient interaction. This brief “in my body time” allows me to see and serve the next individual patient with open mind, curiosity and presence. The few extra minutes a day for this ritual prevent exhaustion and leave me with a sense of abundance and energy at the end of each day.

Everyone of us is human. If we or someone we loved was in the hospital, we would expect that people responsible for our wellbeing have our back. As in most domains in life lack of team communication, discordant training experience and support, feeling disconnected or burned out all contribute to errors and safety issues. With clarity of the goals and what is valued, all involved need to feel that their work matters and they are part of a chain of humans that create goodness for each person of the team, the patient and their families. Having pride and dignity in our work plus a sense of belonging allows for the possibility of generative feedback from all members of the team (cleaning and sanitation, transport crew to CEO)🙏🏼

While the mobile phone can be a distraction and limit our efficiency at work. Certain mobile apps and programs can used to decrease stress, create peace, and improve regulation of our nervous system and wellbeing. For example, headspace, calm, reset.co and numerous other related meditation or mindfulness apps exist to help us. We can use these apps during our lunch or other breaks. I agree that having boundaries as to the use of the phone and social media is helpful. As a physician, I silence my phone and notifications during the hours I am seeing patients. This allows me to be fully present for my patients and mindfully creates for us a healing and productive patient-physician interaction. This also prevents burnout.