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causes & solutions

‘Burnout reset’ conference set for health care workers

Oct 15, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Vernon and area health care professionals suffering from burnout may want to consider attending an upcoming event in Kelowna.

The Vernon Jubilee Hospital Physician Society (VJHPS), with support from the Special Services Committee of Doctors of BC, is presenting Reset 2022, a conference for physicians, health care professionals and health care leaders to hit the reset button on burnout.

It opens Friday, Oct. 21 at the Four Points Sheraton in Kelowna.

The society said four internationally recognized speakers will address the causes of burnout and what can be done on a personal level to affect cultural change within the health care sector.

Dr. Jillian Horton, author of the national best seller We are All Perfectly Fine: A memoir of Love, Medicine and Healing and a regular contributor to the LA Times, Globe and Mail and Maclean’s, will discuss burnout and how narratives are an effective mechanism for engagement and cultural change.

Joining the conference virtually from Scotland, Dr. Chris Turner of Civility Saves Lives will be addressing the affect of incivility on team performance and patient care. Research shows that when someone experiences rudeness or incivility there is a 61 per cent reduction in cognitive ability resulting in an increase in diagnostic and procedural errors.

“When we condone rudeness in our teams, we accept poorer outcomes for our patients,” Turner said.

Raising awareness around the impact of behavior on performance is key to changing culture, improving performance, and reducing absenteeism. Faith Wood, principal of Vernon’s Inspiring Minds Consulting, believes impatience, brusqueness and polarizing opinions has become an epidemic.

Wood’s interactive workshop will provide concrete strategies for respectfully communicating expectations, boundaries and gratitude as well as tactics to avoid shutting up, breaking up or blowing up when confronted with impoliteness, unprofessionalism and disrespect.

Those working in health care can find it difficult to buoy themselves up in the face of long hours, staffing shortages, increased workload, change and uncertainty.

In her interactive workshop, Kelowna’s Beth Hanishewski, owner of Mindset Coaching and co-owner of the transformational online program The Alive Revolution, will explore the foundations of resiliency. Hanishewski will lead participants through a powerful assessment tool and a resiliency toolkit so those working in the healthcare sector can face daily challenges with confidence and courage.

To register for Reset 2022, visit vernonphysiciansociety.ca or call 250-859-0313.

The deadline for registration is this Sunday, Oct. 16.

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