Impact of a resident-driven wellbeing committee on resident-perceived wellbeing, burnout, and resilience

Abstract

BackgroundLimited data exists to guide strategies that reduce risks of burnout amongst pharmacy residents. ObjectiveThe primary objective of this analysis was to characterize wellbeing, burnout, and resiliency among pharmacy residents. The secondary objective was to assess the impact of a resident-run wellbeing committee on wellbeing, burnout, and resiliency. Practice DescriptionIn 2018, a wellbeing committee was developed at an academic medical center with the aim of promoting wellbeing and resilience amongst pharmacy residents. Practice InnovationThe wellbeing committee functions through 3 workgroups focused on resources, engagement, and advocacy. Collectively, these workgroups aim to facilitate wellbeing discussions, plan mindfulness events, and advocate for policies to enhance the wellbeing of residents. Evaluation MethodsPharmacy residents were invited to participate in an electronic survey aimed at characterizing resident wellbeing and assessing the impact of a resident-led wellbeing committee on wellbeing, burnout, and resiliency. The Resident & Fellow Wellbeing Index (RFWI) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were utilized to assess burnout and resiliency, respectively. Continuous and categorical endpoints were assessed utilizing student t tests and chi-square tests, respectively. ResultsA total of 16 of 38 residents participated in this analysis. Scores for RFWI and BRS remained stable throughout the 16-week period. RFWI scores demonstrated that up to 50% of residents scored as “at risk” at any point during the study period, while over 80% of respondents maintained high levels of resilience. More than 50% of respondents reported a positive impact of the wellbeing committee on their wellbeing, burnout, and resilience. ConclusionA resident-led wellbeing committee demonstrated favorable impact on wellbeing, burnout, and resilience for majority of pharmacy residents. While this data suggests that such a committee may serve to protect residents from the negative impacts of burnout, future studies are necessary to further elucidate strategies to promote resident wellbeing.