Organizational support, training and equipment are key determinants of burnout among dialysis healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Burnout was already found to be an important factor in the professional landscape of nephrology prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and is expected to worsen during the pandemic. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to assess pandemic experiences, perceptions, and burnout among Polish dialysis unit professionals in the COVID-19 period. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A survey, which consisted of a Pandemic Experiences and Perceptions Survey (PEPS) and a Maslach Burnout Inventory was distributed online to Polish dialysis units. The study group comprised 379 participants (215 nurses, 148 physicians, and 16 respondents of other professions). RESULTS: The pandemic largely affected or completely dominated the work of dialysis units according to 53.4% and 25.5% of nurses responding to the PEPS, respectively. Among physicians, the prevalence was 55.5% and 15.4% of participants, respectively. Serious or life-threatening risk was perceived by 72.1% and 11.9% of dialysis healthcare professionals, respectively. Furthermore, 74.6% of the study participants stated that their work in a dialysis setting amidst the pandemic was felt to be associated with serious risk for their relatives. Adequate personal protective equipment and information from management decreased burnout among dialysis staff. Burnout was lower in all dimensions among those participants who felt more in control of their exposure to infection, provided by proper training, equipment, and support (p = 0.0004 for emotional exhaustion, p = 0.0007 for depersonalization, and p < 0.0001 for feelings of personal accomplishment). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has largely affected the work in dialysis units. Providing proper training, equipment, and support may decrease burnout among dialysis staff.

Fellowship program directors and trainees across the United States find parental leave policies to be inconsistent, inaccessible, and inadequate.

INTRODUCTION: Determine the consistency, accessibility, and adequacy of parental leave policies for adult and pediatric medicine fellowship programs. METHODS: We administered a 40-question survey to fellowship program directors (PDs) and trainees in adult and pediatric cardiology, hematology/oncology, gastroenterology, and pulmonology/critical care fellowship programs in the United States. We used Chi-square tests to compare proportions for categorical variables and t-tests to compare means for continuous variables. RESULTS: A total of 190 PDs from 500 programs (38.0%) and 236 trainees from 142 programs (28.4%) responded. Most respondents did not believe that parental leave policies were accessible publicly (322/426; 75.6%), on password-protected intranet (343/426; 80.5%), or upon request (240/426; 56.3%). The PDs and trainees broadly felt that parental leave for fellows should be 5-10 weeks (156/426; 36.6%) or 11-15 weeks (165/426; 38.7%). A majority of PDs felt that there was no increased burden upon other fellows (122/190; 64.2%) or change in overall well-being (110/190; 57.9%). When asked about the biggest barrier to parental leave support, most PDs noted time constrains of fellowship (101/190; 53.1%) and the limited number of fellows (43/190; 22.6%). Trainees similarly selected the time constraints of training (88/236; 37.3%), but nearly one-fifth chose the culture in medicine (44/236; 18.6%). There were no statistically significant differences in answers based on the respondents' sex, specialty, or subspecialty. DISCUSSION: Parental leave policies are broadly in place, but did not feel these were readily accessible, standardized, or of optimum length. PDs and trainees noted several barriers that undermine support for better parental leave policies, including time constraints of fellowship, the limited number of fellows for coverage, and workplace culture. Standardization of parental leave policies is advisable to allow trainees to pursue fellowship training and care for their newborns without undermining their educational experiences.

WHO Country Office Kazakhstan: mid-year activity report 2021

This Mid-Year Activity Report provides detailed information on COVID-19 activities and other programmatic initiatives that were implemented from January to June 2021 by the WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan (WHO Kazakhstan).

The Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on European Neurosurgery Trainees.

BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has placed tremendous strain on the national health care systems throughout Europe. As a result, there has been a significant influence on residents' education. We surveyed European neurosurgery residents to estimate the magnitude of the pandemic's impact on neurosurgical training. METHODS: An anonymous, voluntary, 44-question, web-based survey was administered to European neurosurgical residents from November 2, 2020, to January 15, 2021, by e-mail invitation. Close-ended, multiple-choice questions were used to examine the perspectives of neurosurgical trainees of different training programs in Europe regarding the pandemic's impact on education, as well as to evaluate the online webinars as a sufficient alternative educational tool, and their future role. RESULTS: The total number of participants was 134 from 22 European countries. Nearly 88.8 % of respondents reported that the pandemic had a negative influence on their education. A statically significant decrease in surgical exposure, outpatient clinic involvement, and working hours was observed (P < 0.05). Webinars, although widely disseminated, were not considered as a sufficient training alternative. CONCLUSIONS: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had a significant impact on neurosurgical training. During the last year, with the outbreak of the pandemic, formal training education was heavily compromised. Online webinars do not seem to be a sufficient alternative, and some trainees estimate that a whole year of training has been compromised. Our current data have to be cautiously considered for possibly reorganizing the whole training experience. The pandemic may well function as a stimulus for optimizing neurosurgical training.

Global Health Partnerships During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives and Insights from International Partners.

Global health partnerships (GHPs) have encountered many challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. New perspectives and insights are needed to guide GHPs when navigating current and future collaborations. This study aimed to understand perspectives and insights of international partners regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their GHPs with institutions in the United States. We performed a cross-sectional qualitative study conducted through virtual semi-structured interviews performed between June 12, 2020 and July 22, 2020. We queried academic institutions based in the United States to refer individuals from their corresponding international GHP organizations. We invited these individuals to participate in virtual interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed. We analyzed data qualitatively to identify themes. Eighty-four United States partners provided e-mail addresses for international partners. Ten individuals from these GHPs completed the interview. Participants reported overall positive experiences with their United States-based partners during the pandemic. The following themes emerged: imbalanced decision-making; worry about partnership continuity; opportunity to optimize communication within partnerships; interest in incorporating technology to facilitate engagement; and a desire for increased bilateral exchanges. Several challenges appeared to exist before COVID-19 and were highlighted by the pandemic. Most respondents were optimistic regarding the future of their GHPs. However, concerns were expressed regarding the implications of fewer in-person international experiences with United States trainees and the desire for stronger communication. Although our results do not represent the perspectives and insights of all GHPs, they provide considerations for the future. We urge institutions in the United States to re-examine and strive for equitable relationships with their international partners.

Mock grant application roleplay as an alternative to lab-based activities in molecular biology.

Many universities resort to online teaching due to COVID-19 pandemic. It is a challenging endeavor, especially in Molecular Biology courses that require lab access. Mock grant application roleplay is one alternative to lab-based activities. Students are engaged in three aspects: (i) targeted literature review, (ii) research proposal writing and (iii) 5-min project pitching. The design of this module is flexible and, other lab-based courses can adopt it. This module encourages undergraduate students to explore the lab techniques they learnt and concisely present their research proposal.

Communication as a High-Stakes Clinical Skill: "Just-in-Time" Simulation and Vicarious Observational Learning to Promote Patient- and Family-Centered Care and to Improve Trainee Skill.

Patient-provider communication is a hallmark of high-quality care and patient safety; however, the pace and increasingly complex challenges that face overextended teams strain even the most dedicated clinicians. The COVID-19 pandemic has further disrupted communication between clinicians and their patients and families. The dependence on phone communication and the physical barriers of protective gear limit nonverbal communication and diminish clinicians' ability to recognize and respond to emotion. Developing new approaches to teach communication skills to trainees who are often responsible for communicating with patients and their families is challenging, especially during a pandemic or other crisis. "Just-in-time" simulation-simulation-based training immediately before an intervention-provides the scaffolding and support trainees need for conducting difficult conversations, and it enhances patients' and families' experiences. Using a realistic scenario, the author illustrates key steps for effectively using just-in-time simulation-based communication training: assessing the learner's understanding of the situation; determining what aspects of the encounter may prove most challenging; providing a script as a cognitive aid; refreshing or teaching a specific skill; preparing learners emotionally through reflection and mental rehearsal; coaching on the approach, pace, and tone for a delivery that conveys empathy and meaning; and providing specific, honest, and curious feedback to close a performance gap. Additionally, the author acknowledges that clinical conditions sometimes require learning by observing rather than doing and has thus provided guidance for making the most of vicarious observational learning: identify potential challenges in the encounter and explicitly connect them to trainee learning goals, explain why a more advanced member of the team is conducting the conversation, ask the trainee to observe and prepare feedback, choose the location carefully, identify everyone's role at the beginning of the conversation, debrief, share reactions, and thank the trainee for their feedback and observations.

ENT trainees' experience of redeployment during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: As a response to the acute strain placed on the National Health Service during the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 in the UK, a number of junior doctors including ENT trainees were redeployed to other clinical specialties. This presented these trainees with novel challenges and opportunities. METHODS: A qualitative study was performed to explore these experiences, undertaking semi-structured interviews with ENT trainees between 17th and 30th July. Participants were recruited through purposeful sampling. Interview transcripts underwent thematic analysis using Dedoose software. RESULTS: Seven ENT trainees were interviewed, ranging from specialty trainee years four to eight ('ST4' to 'ST8') in grade. Six core themes were identified: organisation of redeployment, utilisation of skill set, emotional impact of redeployment, redeployed team dynamics, concerns about safety and impact on training. CONCLUSION: The ENT trainees' experiences of redeployment described highlight some important lessons and considerations for future redeployments.

A Video and Case-Based Transport Curriculum for Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Trainees Using a Flipped Classroom Methodology.

Introduction: Neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) providers actively manage medical transports. However, there is wide variation in transport education among fellowship programs. Using the flipped classroom methodology, we developed a video and case-based transport education curriculum. Methods: A national needs assessment identified safety, communication skills, and physiology as the most important aspects of transport management. Three 10-minute video modules and two 20-minute case-based discussions were developed to address this content. Using the flipped classroom format, seven NPM fellows from all three postgraduate years of training took part in the curriculum by individually viewing each video followed by participation in group case-based discussions. Cognitive and affective outcomes were assessed using a knowledge and attitude pretest, individual video module posttests, and a postcurriculum follow-up survey. Results: NPM fellows showed significant improvements in transport knowledge and reported increased confidence in their ability to perform important transport roles. Case discussions were adaptable to learners who had different levels of training and had variable transport experience. Case discussions were successfully executed both in person and by video telecommunications during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion: This transport curriculum addressed a national education gap in NPM fellowship training. Using the flipped classroom methodology, cognitive and affective objectives were achieved by improving knowledge and confidence in transport skills among NPM learners. The video and case-based formats were easily implemented, applicable to multiple types of learners, and adaptable to different environments.