Evaluating Moral Resilience, Moral Distress, Burnout, and Professional Identity Formation in Pediatric Trainees

Overview

While professional identity formation, or PIF, is emphasized in medical school, it is often overlooked during residency when stress, burnout, and moral distress peak. Understanding and supporting PIF during this critical stage can enhance residents’ resilience, well-being, and ultimately, the quality of patient care. We are investigating how PIF, moral resilience, moral distress, and burnout interact during residency.

Population of the study: Pediatric residents at UTHealth Houston, aiming to support their professional and personal growth during training

Intervention: Sessions and data collection will be integrated into residents’ existing educational activities. Residents will participate in reflective workshops focused on identity, burnout, and resilience. The study will utilize validated instruments to assess residents’ PIF and the factors that influence their PIF journey. Qualitative data from group discussions will be analyzed for recurring themes, and statistical tests will be applied to assess changes and relationships across variables and cohorts.

Outcome: Our goal is to understand how moral resilience, moral distress, and burnout influence the development of a physician’s professional identity and to assess the effectiveness of tools and interventions that support this process.

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Trial Information

Target Enrollment: 100 pediatric residents
Funder: The University of Texas Shine Academy
Duration of Study: A longitudinal project occurring over the course of the academic year, with multiple points of data collection and workshop sessions designed to capture changes over time

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Principal Investigator

Chinyere O’Connor, MD, FAAP

Links & Resources

Kenneth I. Shine, MD, Academy of Health Science Education

 

 

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