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Does psychosocial competency training for junior physicians working in pediatric medicine improve individual skills and perceived job stress

  • Original Article
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European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pediatricians’ job performance, work engagement, and job satisfaction are essential for both the individual physician and quality of care for their little patients and parents. Therefore, it is important to maintain or possibly augment pediatricians’ individual and professional competencies. In this study, we developed and implemented a psychosocial competency training (PCT) teaching different psychosocial competencies and stress coping techniques. We investigated (1) the influence of the PCT on work-related characteristics: stress perception, work engagement, job satisfaction and (2) explored pediatricians’ outcomes and satisfaction with PCT. Fifty-four junior physicians working in pediatric hospital departments participated in the training and were randomized in an intervention (n = 26) or a control group (n = 28). In the beginning, at follow-up 1 and 2, both groups answered a self-rated questionnaire on perceived training outcomes and work-related factors. The intervention group showed that their job satisfaction significantly increased while perceived stress scores decreased after taking part in the PCT. No substantial changes were observed with regard to pediatricians’ work engagement. Participating physicians evaluated PCT with high scores for training design, content, received outcome, and overall satisfaction with the training.

Conclusion: Professional psychosocial competency training could improve junior pediatricians’ professional skills, reduce stress perception, increase their job satisfaction, and psychosocial skills. In addition, this study indicates that the PCT is beneficial to be implemented as a group training program for junior pediatricians at work.

What is Known:

• Junior pediatricians often report experiencing high levels of job strain and little supervisory support.

• High levels of job demands make pediatricians vulnerable for mental health problems and decreased work ability.

What is New:

• Development, implementation, and evaluation of a psychosocial competency training for junior pediatricians working in clinical settings

• Psychosocial competency training has the potential to improve pediatricians’ psychosocial skills and perceptions of perceived work-related stress and job satisfaction.

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Abbreviations

b:

Beta weight

CI:

Confidence interval

COPSOQ:

Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire

N:

Numbers

M:

Mean

MD:

Median

P:

Probability

PCT:

Psychosocial competency training

SD:

Standard deviation

UWES:

Utrecht Work Engagement Scale

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Karin Vitzthum for language editing and proof-reading.

Authors’ contribution

SM, MB, and LB designed the study. MB, LB, and SM performed the investigation. SM and MB analyzed the data. SM and MB wrote the manuscript. SM, MB, LB, and DG interpreted the data and contributed substantially to its revision. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Occupational Medicine, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Free University and Humboldt University, Thielallee 69-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Monika Bernburg & Lisa Baresi

  2. Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    David Groneberg & Stefanie Mache

  3. Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Seewartenstrasse 10, 20459, Hamburg, Germany

    Stefanie Mache

Authors
  1. Monika Bernburg
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  2. Lisa Baresi
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  3. David Groneberg
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  4. Stefanie Mache
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefanie Mache.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical considerations

Ethical approval was granted by the Free University Berlin. The study is in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individuals participants included in this study.

Funding

No funding support.

Additional information

Communicated by Jaan Toelen

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Bernburg, M., Baresi, L., Groneberg, D. et al. Does psychosocial competency training for junior physicians working in pediatric medicine improve individual skills and perceived job stress. Eur J Pediatr 175, 1905–1912 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-016-2777-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-016-2777-8

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