Date of Submission
2019
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Department
Psychology
Department Chair
Robert A DiTomasso, PhD, ABPP
First Advisor
Stephanie Felgoise, PhD, ABPP
Second Advisor
David Festinger, PhD
Third Advisor
Jeffrey Branch, EdD
Abstract
Graduate school is a time of academic rigor, personal growth, stress, change, fear, and confrontation. It is important for medical and other graduate students to prepare themselves to serve and treat their patients effectively. An important part of this involves learning skills to better manage challenges and demands through ongoing self-care. However, little research has examined what knowledge students have of self-care strategies and burnout or whether education about these constructs is lacking in higher education. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of self-care and impairment modules for medical and other graduate students enrolled in an interprofessional education (IPE). Graduate physician assistant, psychology, and mental health counseling students and osteopathic medical students completed a series of online questionnaires, including a demographics survey, a burnout measure, and a self-care assessment measure, before and after the study. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regressions were utilized to examine the relationship between self-care and burnout, as well as correlations between group membership, symptoms of burnout, and use of self-care over time. There were varying levels of significance of changes in self-care practices and levels of burnout, specifically during exposure to educational modules on impaired professionalism and self-care. Future studies may wish to utilize a larger sample and focus on education about specific selfcare practices. A better understanding of medical and other graduate student burnout may improve student wellness initiatives and assist students in becoming more empathic and self-aware practitioners, with a decreased risk for burnout as future clinicians.
Recommended Citation
Giangrande, Samantha, "Examining the Impact of Educational Modules on Self-care, Burnout, and Professional Impairment on Graduate And Medical Students" (2019). PCOM Psychology Dissertations. 498.
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/psychology_dissertations/498