A PROGRAM introduced in Queensland hospitals to help junior doctors deal with stress has been a boon to Lyndall Nurzynski.
Dr Nurzynski is one of more than 145 junior doctors at Logan, Redlands and Princess Alexandra Hospitals who are taking part in the Australian Medical Association's Resilience on the Run program.
It’s aimed at reducing the stress involved in making daily life or death decisions, sleep deprivation and other workplace pressures.
AMA Queensland president Chris Zappala said there was nothing like the demands of working in a busy hospital.
“Interns and junior doctors work long, erratic hours in high pressure environments and, although they are dedicated, sometimes they need help dealing with the emotional challenges,” Dr Zappala said.
“We want them to have the skills to thrive and give their patients the best possible care.”
The program aims to help interns build resilience, manage relationships and deal with difficult situations.
Dr Nurzynski said her biggest stressor was time pressure, specifically when she suffered from competing demands from staff.
"They all want my time and opinion which I don't necessarily feel that I can do all at once,'' she said.
Logan Hospital intern Ben Cahill said the program was useful in dealing with change.
“As a young person in a new career, the stress and change in lifestyle has an impact on how you feel and how you can function,” Dr Cahill said.
“It’s important to care for yourself so you can care for your patients.
“This year has been a big change but it’s been very well supported. Programs like this are really valuable because they certainly didn’t exist in the past.”
Metro South Health executive director medical services Susan O'Dwyer said the health and safety of doctors was just as important as patient care.
"Our staff is our most valuable asset in caring for patients, so we are always keen to better support their physical and emotional well-being,'' Dr O'Dwyer said. "We encourage all of our junior doctors to get involved.”
Dr Nurzynski said long working hours were an enduring issue and she had found that working about nine days straight was tough.
"I find that emotionally draining and at the end of shifts like that, I am exhausted,'' she said. "It makes me worry about decision making.''
Dr Nurzynski, an intern who has been through the program, said it provided practical strategies to handle stress.
Strategies could be employed on the job and included things like meditation and relaxation techniques.
The program called for non-judgemental acceptance of the moment.
Resilience on the Run was created by the AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training in response to a 2013 report into the mental health of medical professionals that showed doctors experienced higher rates of psychological distress, anxiety and burnout than the general population.
