This study aims to address the psychosocial needs of newly graduated doctors (interns) in a healthcare environment responding to the COVID-crisis, where even most senior doctors are challenged by the uncertainty of a once familiar system. This work builds on three decades of research into professional identity formation, how they develop resilience-building strategies, experience moral distress and incorporate this into current and future professional practice.
Interns, currently practicing in the crisis will be supported to create narrative reflections, followed by mentored peer group sessions to ascertain what they identify as seminal events from both affirmative and challenging experiences. Quick analysis will inform intern induction for those entering the crisis as their first professional experience as doctors.
The study design, based on an action research approach, enables preparatory and supportive interventions to be facilitated for interns. This pre-emptive approach will support wellbeing and resilience, so a positive professional identity formation process can occur in contrast to experiencing overwhelming stress.
Inventories addressing stress and resilience will be administered to the national intern cohort (N>1000) to measure quantitative changes during their experience. This data will be shared as trends with the interview groups as a stimulus for discussion. For qualitative data a representative sample of interns (N=24) will be drawn from interns in frontline practice across 6 networks. Previous surveys of intern experience provide context and a baseline understanding of stress under more normal circumstances. New graduates will be sampled during induction and follow-up.
Results will be shared internationally and with Faculty, Interns, supervisors, NDTP- (HSE) and the Medical Intern Board
Impact to promote interns’ ability to reflectively process current experiences through appreciative enquiry and reduce the likelihood of burnout during or post COVID crisis. This will reframe agency and validate expectations of trust in junior doctors in line with newly appreciated capacities.
