Demonstrating Clinician Educator Value.

Abstract

Clinician educators (CEs) can feel pressured by multiple institutional forces: compliance with frequently changing Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements; the dynamic operational and fiscal strains of sponsoring institutions (SIs); and personal pressures for career advancement, in both academic and community settings. The value of demonstrating contributions as a CE for academic promotion via an annotated curriculum vitae and/or portfolio is well documented.1,2 However, CEs must also find ways to continuously demonstrate value to program, clinical, and organizational leadership, regardless of the type of SI.CEs should strive to align their educational priorities with the SI's clinical priorities. Two examples of aligned CE-SI goals are achieving a reputation for being a high reliability organization and providing value-based care.3 High reliability organizations strive to provide care with zero harm, and value-based systems provide high-quality patient care focused on improved outcomes, positive patient experiences, and lower use of resources.4To accomplish these goals, most SIs develop quality improvement (QI) and patient safety (PS) programs that often operate independently from the sponsored educational programs.5 The ACGME's Common Program Requirements mandate trainee skill development to provide reliable, safe, and high-quality care. At the same time, trainee involvement in QI and PS programs often goes underrecognized by SI leadership, despite program directors reporting that resident participation in QI led to institutional-level changes.5How can CEs make their SI's and program's leadership aware of their contributions to aligned priorities? Using a framework such as mattering can help. Mattering is a psychological construct which recognizes that we all want to be valued and to add value. When someone matters, they are more engaged, are less stressed and depressed, and feel like they belong. There are 4 accepted components for CEs to incorporate when creating an environment of mattering: awareness, importance, reliance, and ego extension.6 As a CE, demonstrating how your clinical and educational work adds value to the shared goals of high reliability and value-based patient care is vital.By using the 4-part mattering framework, you can enhance how you and your program matter to your SI and program leadership. When you matter to others, they recognize your value as well as the value of your programs and activities in achieving shared goals.