Use of Death Cafes to Prevent Burnout in ICU Healthcare Employees

Purpose

Burnout affects a significant number of healthcare employees and leads to worsened mental health, increased job turnover, and patient safety events. Those caring for critically ill patients may be especially susceptible due to high patient mortality, long hours, and regular encounters with traumatic and ethical issues. Preliminary studies suggest that debriefing opportunities may reduce burnout through reflection on distressing patient events, enhancement of social support, and interprofessional collaboration. Death Cafés are a specific form of debriefing that focus on discussing death, dying, loss, and illness. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether biweekly Death Cafe group debriefing sessions can prevent burnout in ICU physicians and staff.

Conditions

  • Burnout
  • Burnout, Professional
  • Burnout, Psychological
  • Anxiety
  • Depression

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
All ages
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, or therapists working in the Intensive Care Unit and have worked for the full-time equivalent of at least 1 week in the preceding 4 weeks

Exclusion Criteria

  • Not physicians, nurses, pharmacists, or therapists - Have worked less than the full-time equivalent of at least 1 week in the preceding 4 weeks

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Prevention
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Death Cafe Arm 		Participants undergo biweekly Death Café sessions hosted by a trained psychotherapist for 3 months.
  • Behavioral: Death Cafe
    Death Cafés are a specific form of debriefing that focuses on discussing death, dying, loss, and illness. Nourishment in the form of cake is provided. These sessions may allow for reflection on distressing patient events while developing a sense of community and collaboration among hospital employees.
No Intervention
Control Arm 		Participants do not undergo biweekly Death Café sessions hosted by a trained psychotherapist for 3 months.

More Details

Status
Completed
Sponsor
Tulane University School of Medicine

Study Contact