Exploring the relationship between Clinical Supervision and Well-being in Otolaryngology Residency Board, KSA

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Surgical residency has been recognized as stressful because of the long working hours and challenging cases. In addition, family care or being a spouse or parent may be associated with a positive or negative impact on well-being. Therefore, well-being care is important for managing burnout in residents. The concept of psychological well-being refers to optimal psychological functioning and experience, while burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, feelings of depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. Sideways training has recently drawn increased amounts of attention in residency training, and residents claim to have a great impact on the clinical learning environment. Clinical supervision is an important component of the clinical environment that facilitates the safe development of clinical skills and the knowledge of trainees to prepare them for independent practice. Residents during rotation are exposed to different types of supervision with different experiences and backgrounds, which influences their learning. We would like to investigate this impact in depth to determine whether there is a difference in otolaryngology residents’ well-being under different supervision conditions and to measure the degree of wellbeing from one level to another during training. Subjects and Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional correlational study in which an online survey was conducted to determine the relationship between resident wellbeing and clinical supervision among Saudi otolaryngology head and neck surgery residents. The data collection instruments used included the D-RECT (Dutch Residents Educational Climate Test) for measuring clinical supervision and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale questionnaire for measuring wellbeing.The mean and standard deviation were calculated for each item using SPSS 21.0. Results: The majority of residents reported higher mean (SD) scores for the following items: “I’ve been feeling useful” (3.53 [1.23]); “I’ve been feeling interested in new things” (3.28 [1.13]); and “I’ve been dealing with problems well” (3.27 [1.10]). The mean (SD) WEMWBS item scores showed no statistically significant difference between junior and senior residents; however, mental wellbeing was significantly associated with all four D-RECT score levels. Conclusion: Clinical supervision and mentorship have a strong impact on physicians’ mental well-being, specifically by promoting self-esteem and a sense of utility at work in the context of medical training.