Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may already have been dealing with a myriad of challenges in your professional and personal life. The added pressure of the pandemic can result in higher levels of stress, burnout or even compassion fatigue. This has carry-over effects to your work satisfaction and performance, relationships at home and your overall feelings of well being.
What is the solution? There are many supportive resources available that can help, and one of these proven tools is peer coaching.
What is Peer Coaching?
Through peer coaching, you can talk with a licensed medical professional and certified coach who understands the unique stressors you experience and can provide support and guidance to you with complete confidentiality. Our peer coaching is short-term, goal oriented and solution-focused. Physicians and providers often consult our peer coaches when they are experiencing:
- Unusual levels of stress
- Desire for strengthening leadership skills
- Increased frustration or anger at work
- Grief and loss
- Challenges in managing administrative or other practice-related tasks
- Communication difficulties with other staff members or administration
- Relationship issues at work and their personal lives
- Difficulty balancing the demands of family and practicing medicine
Peer Coaching offers a collaborative relationship with flexible boundaries allowing for guidance and support in finding ways to navigate difficult situations and grow personally and professionally.
Who are our Peer Coaches?
Our peer coaches come from different specialty areas but have in common a passion for assisting other physicians in strengthening their life and work satisfaction—and most importantly, know the challenges of practicing medicine. They will work with you to set goals, strengthen your practice and leadership effectiveness as well as achieve greater well being in your personal and professional life.
Our coaches are certified coaching professionals, and many maintain a medical practice in their specialty. They are available by phone or video, whatever you prefer. With a national footprint, our peer coaches meet the needs of physicians who prefer to talk with someone in another geographic location for a greater level of privacy.
Peer coaching can help by providing:
- Support and empathic listening
- Non-judgmental insights on work-related issues
- Tips for finding balance between work and personal life
- Practice-related advice and feedback
- Personal and professional goal setting
Peer coaching does not help with:
- Physician/patient relationships
- Prescriptions or medication management
- Psychiatric or psychological evaluation
I want to use Peer Coaching. How do I access it?
There are two main ways you can access peer coaching:
- Call us at 877.731.3949 to speak with a representative
- Go to the Peer Coaching section of the VITAL WorkLife App where you can set up time with one of our Well Being Resources specialists
Our Well Being Resources specialists will assist you (from 7AM-7PM CST) through the coordination process. You’ll first complete an intake and well being assessment to help us assess your goals and coaching outcomes and then will recommend a peer coach tailored to your specific needs.
What happens if it’s the middle of the night and I need to talk to someone?
At any time of the day or night you always have access to in-the-moment mental and behavioral health support from a master’s or doctorate level counselor. We also have coaches who are available 24/7, specifically to support physicians who have experienced a trauma directly or as a second victim. To get connected with in-the-moment support, contact us at 877.731.3949.
Preparing for Your Initial Session
After your intake with VITAL WorkLife, you will be provided a brief bio of 2-3 coach options to choose from. Once your coach is selected, you work with them directly to set up convenient times for your virtual sessions. Our coaches are willing to meet around your schedule, including after work hours and weekends.
Prior to your first coaching session, you may find it helpful to identify your goals and expectations for coaching. It may be as simple as having someone validate your perspective, provide mentoring or advice, work on leadership skills or include action items like creating a stress management plan or ways to approach challenging work situations.
We Can Help
Physician Peer Coaching engages you with an experienced, certified master’s or doctorate level professional who is trained to provide effective guidance and support in achieving your work/life goals with the added benefit of their direct experience with the specific challenges you face. Contact us at 877.731.3949 or through the VITAL WorkLife App to get started with peer coaching today.
