What Did You Just Say? Trainee-Focused Strategies for Responding to Discriminatory Patient Behavior in the Clinical Learning Environment
Discriminatory patient encounters are prevalent across all medical specialties and contribute to trainee burnout, avoidance of patients, and poor work satisfaction. Hospitals have policies in place to protect employees from workplace discrimination by peers, but these policies often do not apply to patient and family member behaviors toward health care providers. Often, trainees are the first to witness discriminatory behaviors and are not equipped with specific tools to respond. Teaching physicians-in-training to recognize, address, and support team members in situations where discriminatory patient behavior occurs is essential to create a positive clinical learning environment. Protecting trainees from the potential harm created by inappropriate patient behavior is critical to maintaining the mental health of the trainees themselves and the patients they treat.
This workshop will focus on an innovative curriculum for trainees to acknowledge and respond to discriminatory patient behavior and mistreatment. In addition, the skills included in this training will empower trainees to debrief these encounters in real time. We will propose experiences, challenges, and concerns that participants may face when dealing with discriminatory patient encounters and provide opportunities to practice using the framework. Next, we will focus on innovative strategies and tools to empower trainees to address discriminatory patient behavior based on our experience at a single medical center. Finally, we will identify ways for participants to implement this curriculum at their own institutions. Participants will leave with an innovative skill set to address discriminatory behavior and a framework to adapt to their clinical learning environments.
This workshop will focus on an innovative curriculum for trainees to acknowledge and respond to discriminatory patient behavior and mistreatment. In addition, the skills included in this training will empower trainees to debrief these encounters in real time. We will propose experiences, challenges, and concerns that participants may face when dealing with discriminatory patient encounters and provide opportunities to practice using the framework. Next, we will focus on innovative strategies and tools to empower trainees to address discriminatory patient behavior based on our experience at a single medical center. Finally, we will identify ways for participants to implement this curriculum at their own institutions. Participants will leave with an innovative skill set to address discriminatory behavior and a framework to adapt to their clinical learning environments.