Session One : End of Life Impact on Perfusionists

Held Thursday 29th September, 2022

Please visit the blog below to engage with fellow members regarding this topic, or to provide feedback that you think will be of value.
Individual opinions posted may not neccessarily reflect those of the College. 

Michelle McElduff
Clinical Psychologist 
The Children’s Hospital, Westmead

Discussion on dealing with emotional responses and supporting your emotional wellbeing, especially in context of working with critically ill patients; end of life care and medical trauma.

Monica Olsen
Chief Pediatric Perfusionist
UNC Medical Centre, USA

I have been a Pediatric Perfusionist for 23 years and have had the opportunity to participate in all aspects of extra-corporeal circulation, including VADs, Angiovac, HIPEC, ECMO transport and have a special interest in EOL.

Resources and References from Session One

Michelle McElduff,
The Children’s Hospital, Westmead

www.openground.com.au

Apps:              HEADSPACE, Open Mind, Smiling Mind

Poql.org: Professional Quality of Life Scale

Figley 2013

Stamm 2009

Eric Gentry & Jeffery Jim Dietz: Forward Facing Resilience for Health Professionals

Jon Kabat Zinn: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Monica Olsen
UNC Medical Centre, USA


Bui & Hodge:
Factors contributing to burnout among perfusionists in United States

Friday & Mook:
The cardiovascular perfusionist as a model for the successful technologist in High Stress situations

Your questions from the session answered:

Click on the arrow below to toggle answers

Cultivating a culture that recognises the emotional impact of providing EOL care and promotes health professional wellbeing.  Some ideas include:

• Introduce a journal club with an interest in EOL care and/or health professional wellbeing, to promote discussion and increase awareness of the emotional       impact of EOL care and ways to support resilience.
• Seek out opportunities for continuing professional education to build confidence and skills in providing EOL care.
• Explore pathways within your organisation (for example, psychology or social work colleagues) to set up a framework for debriefing after significant events.
• Create opportunities for team members to connect with each other (informally and formally) to strengthen feelings of connection and peer support.

Individual strategies to promote self-awareness and support professional wellbeing. Some ideas include:

Introduce a regular mindfulness practice:
o Examples of Apps providing guided mindfulness meditations include Headspace, Insight Timer, and Smiling Mind.
o Explore informal opportunities for present moment awareness during the workday (for example, washing hands, walking stairs, eating lunch).

Explore the use of body-based strategies to find ways to regulate stress throughout the day. Some examples include:
o 3 big sighs
    https://www.perthmeditationcentre.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/5mm05.pdf
o The Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) website also offers a range of body-based relaxation strategies, including breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation:
    https://proqol.org/self-care-tools-1

Develop a plan for self-care:
o A self-care guide from the Black Dog Institute might be a helpful place to start:
    https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Self-care-planning-for-healthcare-workers-fact-sheet.pdf

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