The Narrative Workshops team works with doctors in Brighton & Hove. At training sessions for undergraduates at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), and in workshops for established GPs and other clinicians in general practice, such as nurses and phlebotomists, participants engage in close reading of poetry, discussion and expressive writing.
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Why?
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The Guardian reported in February 2017: “A survey of the working lives of 2,300 trainee anaesthetists has found that six out of seven – 85% – are at risk of becoming burned out, despite only being in their 20s and 30s. Respondents identified long hours, fears about patient safety, the disruption of working night shifts and long commutes to their hospital as key reasons for their growing fatigue and disillusionment.
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The survey, by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, found that 64% of trainees in that speciality below the level of consultant felt their job had affected their physical health and 61% their mental health.”
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Working with doctors - Narrative Workshops in General Practice
On the NHS website, Professor Cary Cooper, occupational health expert at Lancaster University, gives guidance on coping with stress.
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Setting yourself goals and challenges, he says, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps to build confidence. This will help you deal with stress.
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"By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person," says Professor Cooper. "Helping people who are often in situations worse than yours will help you put your problems into perspective,” he continues. "The more you give, the more resilient and happy you feel."
Accept the things you can't change, he concludes.
Professor Cooper knows how to deal with stress. So do doctors. They give out the above advice all the time. But it is extremely hard for any doctor to give themselves licence to learn a new skill, to allow themselves time to reflect on their practice, or to accept that there may not always be a way of making someone better. Doctors are ‘on’ all the time.
It is extremely hard to get doctors into a narrative workshop, for example. In a Narrative Workshop they will spend time reflecting, rather than doctoring, they will be writing poetry not prescriptions, they will be reading literature, not the BMJ. They will be connecting with colleagues, instead of building boundaries. “I haven’t the time,” they say, running past the open door. “I’ve got to catch up on hundreds of emails,” they say, walking away backwards. “It’s too personal,” they say, rushing past in the corridor.
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But once they come, they come back, again and again.
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Doctors and clinical practitioners who have attended Narrative Workshops report
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increased emotional resilience
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better sleep
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better time management
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fewer headaches
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fewer feelings of isolation and helplessness
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more confidence
Narrative Workshops CIC works inside practices so that doctors don’t have to travel to sessions. We provide intimate, confidential forums for doctors to build emotional and physical resilience through hearing stories and being heard. Across the US, doctors are engaged in thousands of Narrative Medicine programmes.
It is our intention to engage more doctors every year in life saving narrative workshop programmes. Doctors look after us. We can also look after them.
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If you are a doctor who wishes to start your own workshop program
at your GP practice or hospital, contact us today for information and guidance
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