Pediatr Crit Care Me
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · Aug 2017
Moral Distress in PICU and Neonatal ICU Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation.
To measure the level of moral distress in PICU and neonatal ICU health practitioners, and to describe the relationship of moral distress with demographic factors, burnout, and uncertainty. ⋯ In this single-center, cross-sectional study, we found that moral distress is present in PICU and neonatal ICU health practitioners and is correlated with burnout, uncertainty, and feeling unsupported.
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · Aug 2017
An Intensive, Simulation-Based Communication Course for Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellows.
Effective communication among providers, families, and patients is essential in critical care but is often inadequate in the PICU. To address the lack of communication education pediatric critical care medicine fellows receive, the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh PICU developed a simulation-based communication course, Pediatric Critical Care Communication course. Pediatric critical care medicine trainees have limited prior training in communication and will have increased confidence in their communication skills after participating in the Pediatric Critical Care Communication course. ⋯ The Pediatric Critical Care Communication course increased fellow confidence in having difficult discussions common in the PICU. Fellows highly recommend it as part of PICU education. Further work should focus on the course's impact on family satisfaction with fellow communication.
-
Many times, we make decisions in our lives that have unanticipated impacts. Decisions made can change our careers and outlook toward life. As a younger doctor, I considered illness and disease abstractions, and good management with optimal outcomes for the patient was our focus, as we strive toward our professional goals. But having experienced the real pain and helplessness that patients and their parents undergo during critical illnesses, the importance of empathy together with the knowledge and skills needed to treat a child should never be undervalued.