Grief Education Series for Physicians: Grief, Self-Care and Physician Wellness

The Grief Education Series for Physicians is offered as part of the NS Health Medical Affairs' Webinar Series and Dalhousie University's Faculty of Medicine Professional Development Webinar Series.

This series of four virtual sessions is meant to support physicians in understanding the necessity and value of engaging in difficult conversations around the experience of loss. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about grief and loss in a safe and supportive environment. Participants will leave with a better understanding of grief literacy in the context of healthcare and ability to recognize key challenges associated with expressing grief in clinical work environments. They will develop greater comfort and capacity for reflecting on personal and professional experiences with grief and loss, and identify actionable strategies to promote grief literacy within clinical settings.

Each webinar in the grief education series is eligible for Continuing Medical Education Accreditation.

Grief, Self-care and Physician Wellness (session 3 of 4)

Participants will examine the relationship between unacknowledged grief and physician burnout, moral injury, as well as compassion fatigue. They will gain insight into how to differentiate between performative and meaningful self-care. They will also identify personal practices and available resources intended to help physicians navigate their grief and loss in a compassionate manner.

Facilitated by Sarah Burm, PhD, Associate Professor and Education Research Scientist in the Office of Continuing Professional Development and Medical Education at Dalhousie University, and Matt Fillier, Grief Practice Lead, Palliative Care Network, NS Health.

Learning objectives:

• Examine the relationship between unacknowledged grief and physician burnout, moral injury or compassion fatigue 
• Differentiate between performative and meaningful self-care 
• Identify personal practices and available resources intended to help physicians navigate their grief and loss in a compassionate manner