One of the most devastating aspects of the COVID pandemic has been the toll it has taken on health care workers. Stories of burnout, apathy and individuals choosing to leave the profession are prevalent across the nation.
To be certain, while the pandemic made it worse, these issues existed prior to 2020. Adding to the problem is the growing crisis with a shortage of healthcare workers, as those who are left are required to do more to ensure adequate care.
Recognizing the challenges faced by this reality, for the past two years Le Moyne has introduced the Healer’s Art program into the curriculum for students in the Physician Assistant Studies Program. This new element was made possible thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The course offers a safe learning environment for a personal in-depth exploration of compassionate care, emphasizing the need for self-care in order to provide good patient care and avoid burnout.
“There is a huge epidemic of burnout with PAs, physicians and other health care providers, basically anyone who interacts with patients,” said Mary Springton, MS. Ed, PA-C, clinical associate professor and director of clinical advancement, who is overseeing the program. “This can include depersonalization, lack of empathy, and other problems, such as an increased level of medical errors, depression, alcoholism, substance use and, for some, leaving the medical field.”
Healer’s Art is a 15-hour program that is embedded in several courses within the PA program, such as courses in the medical humanities, and counseling and public health. Le Moyne is just the third PA program in the nation to have added the Healer’s Art elements to its curriculum.
“Healer’s Art is very Jesuit and reflective in nature,” she said. “It focuses on not only the whole student aspect but also on the whole faculty member. It has elements of meditation, reflection and deep breathing.”
A total of 11 instructors and others at Le Moyne were trained in the Healer’s Art program, including Meega Wells, Ph.D., RN, ANP-BC, dean of the Purcell School of Professional Studies, and Anne Kearney, LCSW-R, dean of student wellbeing. One part of the training is the “seed talk,” where the instructor tells their personal stories as a health care provider, to personalize their experience and create empathy with the student so they know that everyone who works in healthcare has undoubtedly dealt with these issues to some extent.
The results have been overwhelmingly positive, with 84 percent of students who have taken part in the Healer’s Art program saying they would recommend it to other students and 88 percent feeling more supportive of classmates. Student comments included: “Our group was able to trust one another and really get into deep conversations… This course allows you to talk about things you don’t have the opportunity to talk about in other classes… It allows the students to relax and talk about how they feel.”
The same positivity is found with faculty, with 86 percent reporting that Healer’s Art Program was useful for them both personally and professionally. As one faculty member said “This would have been beneficial for me as a student and should be part of the curriculum moving forward.”
Funding for the program through the HRSA grant will continue for the next two years.