Guthrie Robert Packer - Pulmonary Residency - Museum of Glass - 06.17.23

The project was viewed by the participants as an opportunity to implement techniques to help manage stress and utilize art to further improve mood prior to the onset of burnout. The area of pulmonary and critical care medicine has a relatively high burnout rate. There is some research that suggests that once a burnout has been detected it is too late and that may never truly recover....

At the museum of glass, we were in a tranquil area where we had time to talk and relax while looking at science and art. The artistic qualities that the glass, both new and old, were appreciated, allowing the participants time to reflect on their time and appreciation of the beauty around us. At the end of the tour, we designed our own pieces of glass art to sit on our work desk as a reminder of the importance of self-reflection and self-care.

We discussed some of the trouble that we experience while we are at work and many of the words that were used included frazzled, overwhelmed, and chaos. The artistic glass ornament that each of us created was meant to remind us that we aren’t alone, we have each other, and there is always time for a moment of clarity. Sometimes, the moments when it seems most chaotic are the times when mental clearing is the most important to assure appropriate decision making.

One of the barriers that we had was in scheduling the event is clearing of the schedule for everyone to be able to attend. We implemented a nocturnal program that would make it a lot easier now. I would recommend planning early and setting a date when attending coverage can be made. It also may have been helpful to have more support from GME when scheduling to assure that everyone was encouraged to go from the program standpoint and for coverage.

Our glass artwork sits on our desk to serve as a visual reminder of the importance of self-care. We also have been looking out for each other more and helping when it seems that the others are becoming overwhelmed.