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Through the looking glass: qualitative study of critical care clinicians engaging in humanities

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Abstract

Purpose

Critical care medicine is facing an epidemic of burnout and consequent attrition. Interventions are needed to re-establish the medical field as a place of professional growth, resilience, and personal well-being. Humanities facilitate creation, reflection, and meaning-making, holding the promise of personal and community transformation. This study aimed to explore how clinicians engage with a humanities program, and what role and impact do the humanities play in their individual and collective journey.

Methods

This is a qualitative study employing a phenomenological approach. Participants were faculty and trainees who participated in the program. Data consisted of (a) 60-h observations of humanities evenings, (b) more than 200 humanities artifacts brought by participants, and (c) 15 in-depth participant interviews. Data were analyzed inductively and reflectively by a team of researchers.

Results

Participants were motivated to engage with the humanities curriculum because of past experiences with art, identifying a desire to re-explore their creativity to make meaning from their clinical experiences and a wish to socialize with and understand their colleagues through a different lens. The evenings facilitated self-expression, and inspired and empowered participants to create art pieces and re-engage with art in their daily lives. More importantly, they found a community where they could be vulnerable and supported, where shared experiences were discussed, emotions were validated, and relationships were deepened between colleagues.

Conclusions

Humanities may impact resilience and personal and community well-being by facilitating reflection and meaning-making of challenging clinical work and building bonds between colleagues.

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Acknowledgements

BM and LN study design, data analysis and interpretation, and the writing of the manuscript, AH data analysis and interpretation, and the writing of the manuscript, KM and CP data analysis and interpretation and review of the manuscript.

Funding

University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, 2021 Medical Humanities Education Grant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada

    Briseida Mema, Andrew Helmers & Catherine Proulx

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Briseida Mema & Andrew Helmers

  3. University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Catherine Proulx

  4. Rare Book School (RBS), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA

    Kyung-Seo (Kay) Min

  5. The Danish Center for Social Science Research, VIVE, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Laura E. Navne

  6. Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Laura E. Navne

Authors
  1. Briseida Mema
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  2. Andrew Helmers
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  3. Catherine Proulx
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  4. Kyung-Seo (Kay) Min
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  5. Laura E. Navne
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Briseida Mema.

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Conflicts of interest

All authors state that they have no conflict of interests to declare.

Ethical approval

This study was approved the Hospital for Sick Children Research Ethics Board on May 19, 2021, Study Nr 1000075853. Study title “Exploring and Supporting the Process of Professional Identity Formation of Critical Care Clinicians through Medical Humanities”. Study procedures were followed in accordance with the ethical standards of the Hospital for Sick Children Research Ethics Board and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975.

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Mema, B., Helmers, A., Proulx, C. et al. Through the looking glass: qualitative study of critical care clinicians engaging in humanities. Intensive Care Med 50, 427–436 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-024-07331-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-024-07331-9

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