ACP Well-being Champions: Promoting Well-being Through Advocacy and Action
“Action is the antidote to despair.”
—Joan Baez
Physicians are no stranger to “action.” The job of a physician is one that is in constant motion, going from patient to patient, system to system, many times seemingly without a moment to breathe in between. When that moment of pause does come, it can also be accompanied by overwhelming feelings of stress and burnout. Physicians have been taught to possess the “superhuman” ability to take away pain from others, but what happens when that pain is their own? Torn between the need to care for yourself while also caring for others, over time, these feelings can build up to what is known as moral injury. As one of our fellow Well-being Champions (and North Carolina Chapter Governor) Dr. Marion McCrary states in our training module, the tendency can be to place blame on yourself:
Often when you're feeling burnout, you're feeling like you just can't go on. You feel a lot of shame. You feel guilt that you can't get it all done. When I was experiencing burnout myself, the first thing I thought of is, What have I done wrong? Why can't I be more productive? How can I be more productive? How can I be more efficient?
While the problems of physician burnout cannot be solved by any one physician alone, there are small, individual actions that collectively, over time, can make a big difference. In this supersized September issue of I.M. Thriving, we recognize the impact of small actions by sharing resources on National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (NPSA) and National Voter Registration Day, which both occurred on September 17. It is through these small actions that meaningful system change can happen.
Physicians are one of several occupational groups linked to a higher risk of death by suicide. In conjunction with Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation, the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health released a guide to Improve Healthcare Worker Burnout. Over the years, ACP's NPSA efforts have evolved into a comprehensive year-round campaign to normalize mental health help-seeking and create positive learning and working environments for physicians and their teams, focused on meeting systems, communities, and individuals from where they are. According to ACP's Chief Membership and Engagement Officer Dr. Cynthia (Daisy) Smith, “Ultimately, the goal is to help physicians understand that they are not alone. We want every physician who uses these resources to feel supported and know that seeking help is not only normal. It is a sign of strength.”
ACP also recognizes that voting impacts health and health care. ACP has partnered with Vot-ER, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to integrate civic engagement into health care, to encourage members to get involved in encouraging civic participation. Through Vot-ER, members can sign up here to receive a free badge featuring a QR code that patients may scan on their mobile devices allowing them to check their registration status, update their voter records, register to vote, and/or request a mail-in ballot. Also, as part of its nonpartisan commitment to civic engagement and voter education, ACP has prepared a resource with information on the health policy records of the two major party presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
Your ACP Well-being team has curated resources to help you promote well-being through advocacy and action. Learn about actions you can take to prepare yourself before a moment of crisis or the value of sensory grounding tools to help with overwhelming feelings of shame, stress, and burnout.
Check out the links below for resources you can use for yourself and others:
- Explore the Professional Fulfillment Zone, where you will find the latest updates from ACP's Professional Development and Fulfillment Team, on topics such as Physician Peer Coaching and nominations for new Well-being Champions.
- Read about the 988 Lifeline, Making Sense of Critical Suicide Studies, and Connecting Someone to Help (When They're Hesitant) as well as toolkits to promote NPSA, election information, health equity, and racial justice.
- Learn the power of personal stories around grief, shame, and restorative justice in the workplace.
- Review Patients Before Paperwork and advocacy updates that affect physician well-being and professional fulfillment.
- Explore WBC coaching resources, including coaching sign-ups, the WBC contact list, a library of well-being interventions, and the WBC journey map. Find out how chapters can partner with WBCs (WBC Exclusive; must be signed in to ACP online).
- Utilize just-in-time well-being skills for yourself—and to teach others—and explore tools to create a well-being program tailored to any organization's needs and budget.
- Visit the I.M. Emotional Support Hub and Video Series to learn more about individual and organizational strategies and resources to protect clinicians' emotional health and well-being.
We look forward to hearing from you! Post in the ACP Connect app WBC community and/or reach out to us via e-mail anytime with your thoughts and suggestions for newsletter topics and features.
Sincerely,
Your ACP Well-being Team
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