Communities of Practice: Acknowledging Vulnerability to Improve Resilience in Healthcare Teams

Overview

Journal J Med Ethics

Publisher BMJ Publishing Group

Specialty Medical Ethics

Date 2020 Jan 26

PMID 31980462

Citations 9

Authors

Janet Delgado

Janet de Groot

Graham McCaffrey

Gina Dimitropoulos

Kathleen C Sitter

Wendy Austin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The majority of healthcare professionals regularly witness fragility, suffering, pain and death in their professional lives. Such experiences may increase the risk of burnout and compassion fatigue, especially if they are without self-awareness and a healthy work environment. Acquiring a deeper understanding of vulnerability inherent to their professional work will be of crucial importance to face these risks. From a relational ethics perspective, the role of the team is critical in the development of professional values which can help to cope with the inherent vulnerability of healthcare professionals. The focus of this paper is the role of Communities of Practice as a source of resilience, since they can create a reflective space for recognising and sharing their experiences of vulnerability that arises as part of their work. This shared knowledge can be a source of strength while simultaneously increasing the confidence and resilience of the healthcare team.

Citing Articles

Qualitative perspectives of isolation experiences due to COVID-19 from a group of bioethicists in training performing interdisciplinary healthcare activities. Medellin, Colombia. September 2020.

Garcia-Uribe J, Garzon-Duque M, Massaro-Ceballos M, Espinal-Espinal L, Canastero-Montoya I, Posada-Giraldo C Rev Bras Med Trab. 2024; 21(2):e2022874.

PMID: 38313088 PMC: 10835399. DOI: 10.47626/1679-4435-2022-874.

The experiences of physiotherapy independent prescribing in primary care: implications for practice.

Mullan J, Smithson J, Walsh N Prim Health Care Res Dev. 2023; 24:e28.

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A Continuing Educational Program Supporting Health Professionals to Manage Grief and Loss.

Esplen M, Wong J, Vachon M, Leung Y Curr Oncol. 2022; 29(3):1461-1474.

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Residents' transformational changes through self-regulated, experiential learning for professionalism.

De Groot J, Kassam A, Swystun D, Topps M Can Med Educ J. 2022; 13(1):5-16.

PMID: 35291457 PMC: 8909828. DOI: 10.36834/cmej.70234.

Virtue and care ethics & humanism in medical education: a scoping review.

Doukas D, Ozar D, Darragh M, De Groot J, Carter B, Stout N BMC Med Educ. 2022; 22(1):131.

PMID: 35219311 PMC: 8881825. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-021-03051-6.

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