Anu Gorukanti, MD and Laura Holford, RN MSN discuss introspection, health equity, and nursing burnout. They emphasize the importance of self-reflection, spirituality, and creating supportive communities in healthcare. Topics include moral distress, accountability, and the need for personal well-being in the medical system.
Importance of introspection and reflection in healthcare for self-awareness and authenticity.
Building community support and accountability to address moral distress and burnout in healthcare.
Recognizing and mitigating moral distress and moral injury through systemic interventions and collective reflection.
Deep dives
Creating Space for Introspection and Reflection in Healthcare
The podcast episode highlights the importance of creating space for introspection and reflection in healthcare. The co-founders of introspective spaces emphasize the significance of focusing on introspection and reflection as essential components of self-awareness and authenticity. By providing a supportive community and advocating for the integration of reflection as a requirement rather than a luxury in healthcare, they aim to empower women in the field to cultivate self-awareness and authenticity in their practice, acknowledging the need for time and space for introspection in healthcare professions.
Building Communal Support and Accountability in Healthcare
The episode discusses the value of building community support and accountability in healthcare to address moral distress and burnout among healthcare workers. The co-founders describe their journey of becoming accountability partners and supporting each other through challenging experiences in their training. By encouraging the concept of having an accountability partner and sharing personal anecdotes, they advocate for the importance of communal support as a means to navigate the complexities of healthcare and promote well-being among professionals.
Recognizing Moral Distress and Moral Injury in Healthcare
The podcast sheds light on the concepts of moral distress and moral injury in healthcare settings. Definitions and distinctions between the two are provided, highlighting the psychological, behavioral, and spiritual impact of situations that conflict with personal values. The discussion delves into the emotional toll experienced by healthcare workers when faced with situations that challenge their ethical beliefs, emphasizing the need to address systemic barriers and promote individual and collective reflection to mitigate the effects of moral distress and moral injury.
Importance of Systemic Interventions for Healthcare Workers
Recognizing the importance of systemic interventions for healthcare workers, the podcast emphasizes that individual-focused practices like yoga and meditation might not fully address the larger issues affecting healthcare professionals. The speakers highlight the need for institutions to provide more than just individual self-care strategies, as healthcare workers require collective well-being improvements to combat feelings of powerlessness and distress.
Embracing Community and Self-Compassion in Healthcare Transitions
Discussing the significance of transitions in healthcare careers, the podcast advocates for embracing community support and self-compassion during times of change. Reflecting on the theme of transitions, the speakers recommend creating space to acknowledge both the grief of letting go and the excitement of new beginnings. Additionally, they underscore the importance of building authentic relationships, prioritizing well-being, and fostering a sense of worthiness and belonging in healthcare environments.
Sharmin, Kaylin, and Jane interview Anu Gorukanti, MD and Laura Holford, RN MSN, the co-founders of Introspective Spaces. They discuss their journeys in healthcare and what motivated them to build an inclusive space to foster connection, cultivate contemplative practice, and empower women in healthcare through introspective and reflection.
Anu Gorukanti, MD is a public health advocate and pediatric hospitalist at a county hospital in Los Angeles, CA who is passionate about health equity and racial justice. She went to undergraduate and medical school at Saint Louis University and completed her residency at Stanford University. She is passionate about social justice and the role that reflection and contemplation play as building blocks for revolution (as inspired by many theologians, spiritual leaders, and activists before her). She strongly believes that understanding who you are, what you value, and where your values come from can lead to a meaningful and authentic life. In her perspective, social change should always honor and incorporate both the individual and systems-based approach.
Laura Holford, RN MSN, is an oncology certified nurse and public health nurse committed to working to reduce nursing burnout and moral distress, and the reassembly of responsibility and accountability in healthcare. Liberation theology led her to train as a masters prepared nurse at University of San Francisco. She works as a community health nurse in Sacramento, CA She has a background as a campus minister & was lay community pastor of an Christian Interfaith church and she enjoys nothing more than accompanying people on their healing, reflective, and spiritual paths. Like many mystics before her, she believes that contemplation and action cannot be separated and finds herself naturally helping others’ build reflective, imaginative, and spiritual practices to ground their action and work in the world.
