Insights from VITAL WorkLife

Peer Coaching: How it Can Help Physician Well-Being

Written by Sarah Prom, MA, LPC, ODCP | April 28, 2020

“My current level of well-being would be a 9. I was probably at a 0 before coaching; everything has improved so much! My coach was phenomenal! She helped me open up and discover things about myself to become better in my role as a supervisor. I would recommend her to anyone that needs any kind of professional help in coaching areas.”

– physician who utilized our Peer Coaching

Whether its managing grief or loss in the workplace, coping with the challenges of a crisis or pandemic, feeling like you’ve lost joy in your profession, working on effective communication strategies or developing leadership skills, our peer coaches are here to help you through it all—both negative and positive experiences.

What is Peer Coaching?

In peer coaching, a physician can talk with someone who understands and has personal experience with the unique challenges of the medical profession. Peer Coaching is a collaborative relationship with flexible boundaries allowing for mentorship and guidance—as well as support in finding ways to navigate difficult situations. Our peer coaches will work with physicians to clarify goals and values and form a path to achieving those goals. There are many potential objectives for peer coaching:

  • Finding Joy, Meaning & Purpose in Medicine
  • Communication & Conflict Resolution
  • Stress & Burnout
  • Work/Life Integration
  • Identifying Limits & Setting Boundaries
  • Establishing Healthy Habits
  • Leadership Development
  • Grief, Loss or Anxiety in relation to workplace issues

Benefits of Peer Coaching

Mayo Clinic conducted a clinical trial on the Effect of a Professional Coaching Intervention on the Well-being and Distress of Physicians. The results showed a decrease in emotional exhaustion, decrease in overall burnout and observed an increase in quality of life and resilience scores. These results reinforce the positive influence we’ve seen with our Peer Coaching and the impact it can have on physician well-being.

Looking back at 2019, here is what physicians and providers who accessed our resource identified as the top 5 benefits of Peer Coaching:

  1. Improved Confidence
  2. Improved Self Awareness
  3. Emotional Validation
  4. Developed New Skills
  5. Improved Optimism
Here are some powerful reflections of how Peer Coaching has positively impacted the physicians and providers we serve:

“My coach helped me to set some boundaries around work hours and not taking as much extra call. This is making a big difference in my satisfaction and also to my spouse’s!”

“My coach was a very good listener, an active listener, who allowed me to problem solve and process things verbally and would interject at appropriate times.”

 “I am now more able to deal with the aspects of my practice frustrating me, but that I have limited control over. I actually find as I focus more on the things within my power and that are meaningful to me, I am enjoying practice again.”

“My coach was very helpful and supportive. She was able to help me address an issue I was having at work while focusing on my strengths and working on my weaknesses.”

“My coach was very helpful in reframing a difficult situation in a positive way. I was able to see what I was responsible for and take steps to make some changes that helped reduce stressors related to my work life.”

We Can Help

To learn more about our unique Physician Well-Being Resources offered to healthcare organizations, contact us online or call 877.731.3949. For more information specific to our Coaching & Support solution, click HERE.

 

Sources:

Professional coaching intervention may reduce physician burnout https://www.healio.com/primary-care/practice-management/news/online/%7B956cac3a-77fb-433c-a0bd-e56a57adeb74%7D/professional-coaching-intervention-may-reduce-physician-burnout

Effect of a Professional Coaching Intervention on the Well-being and Distress of Physicians: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2740206