6533b7d8fe1ef96bd12699b3
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Social support in the workplace for physicians in specialization training
Heli ParviainenElina Annikki SuutalaLeena Mikkolasubject
ta520020205 medical informaticsWorkplace relationshipsworkplace interactionIdentity (social science)continuing medical educationworkplace relationships02 engineering and technologyammatti-identiteettiOccupational Stress0302 clinical medicineContinuing medical educationMuut yhteiskuntatieteet - Other social sciencestyössäoppiminen0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineeringTerveystiede - Health care science030212 general & internal medicineta518Situational ethicsWorkplaceta316lcsh:LC8-6691lcsh:R5-920työelämän suhteetEducation MedicalCommunicationGeneral MedicinePsychologylcsh:Medicine (General)SpecializationResearch Articlejatkuva oppiminensairaalatvuorovaikutusAttitude of Health Personnellearning through serviceControl (management)sosiaalinen tukiContinuing medical educationEducation03 medical and health sciencesSocial supportSpecialization (functional)HumansInterpersonal RelationsMedical educationlcsh:Special aspects of educationelinikäinen oppiminentyöpaikatstressisocial supportSocial relationMedia- ja viestintätieteet - Media and communicationshoitohenkilöstöphysicians in specialization trainingPerceptiondescription
ABSTRACT When becoming a specialist, learning-through-service plays a significant role. The workplace affords good opportunities for learning, but the service-learning period may also impose stress on phycisians in specialization training. In medical work, social support has proved to be a very important factor in managing stress. Social support may afford advantages also for learning and professional identity building. However, little was known about how social support is perceived by doctors in specialization training. This study aimed to understand the perceptions of physicians in specialization training regarding social support communication in their workplace during their learning-through-service period. The study was conducted qualitatively by inductively analyzing the physicians’ descriptions of workplace communication. The dataset included 120 essays, 60 each from hospitals and primary healthcare centres. Physicians in specialization training explained the need of social support with the responsibilities and demands of their clinical work and the inability to control and manage their workloads. They perceived that social support works well for managing stress, but also for strengthening relational ties and one’s professional identity. A leader’s support was perceived as being effective, and both senior and junior colleagues were described as an important source of social support. Also co-workers, such as the individual nurse partner with whom one works, was mentioned as an important source of social support. The results of this study indicate that social support works at the relational and identity levels, which is due to the multi-functional nature of workplace communication. For example, consultation functions as situational problem-solving, but also the tone of social interaction is meaningful. Thus, strengthening one’s professional identity or collegial relationships requires further attention to workplace communication. Abbreviations PiST: Physician in specialization training
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-02-22 |