

Mastering Intensive Care
Andrew Davies
This podcast is designed to inspire intensive care clinicians to become the very best they can be at delivering care to their critically ill patients.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 23, 2019 • 1h 17min
47 - Matt Morgan - Mixing science, history, emotion and humanity in telling Critical stories
Have you visited any of your past patients or their families in their homes? Would this be difficult? What might you learn? Medicine is mostly a series of stories of people's lives. This is a privilege we often overlook. In Intensive Care we usually only have a glimpse into each life, an almost unrecognisable flash of physical suffering, medical procedure, bedside vigil and hopefully recovery, but sadly we often miss the end of the story. What happened to that person? Did they recover? Did they regain their previous life? What do they remember? Dr Matt Morgan, a Welsh Intensivist, didn't enjoy missing the end of these stories, and he wasn't sure that laypeople really understood what we do in the ICU. So he took it upon himself to visit some of the patients or their families who he had helped care for in the Intensive Care Unit. And what he learned helped him write his recently published book "Critical - science and stories from the brink of life". Matt is a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at the University Hospital of Wales, and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Cardiff University in the UK. After completing medical school in Cardiff, where he still lives and works, Matt studied ethics at Bristol University, served as a junior doctor in the RAF, and subsequently chose the path of intensive care medicine, training in the UK and Australia, and completing a PhD. Matt is passionate about public engagement and has contributed to multiple scientific articles. The book "Critical" takes readers on a tour around the intensive care unit, meeting some of his most interesting and memorable cases. These stories include a pregnant woman who survived for weeks without a heart beat, the son of a police officer who was critically injured in a drug lab explosion, a judge who returns to the court room where he needed CPR, and an 18-year-old student who sadly died from sepsis after a trip to Africa. Throughout the book, Matt also highlights public health messages like the importance of bystander CPR, the harms of alcohol, the benefits of organ donation and how medicine is currently battling what should be done with what can be done. In this podcast conversation you'll hear Matt speak about his new book, and also about: How he has tried to mix science, history, emotions and humans together in his writing How hard it was to visit some of the patients and their families he wrote about in his book The value of doing this "deep follow up" The story of Vivi, who is understood to be the world's first ever Intensive Care patient How we can increase our use of narrative medicine including in medical note writing The changes he's made to the process of his ward round Some of his thoughts on burnout and how he deals with the demands of work The importance he places on sleep His views on mindfulness What he says and does in a family meeting The question he thinks is crucial in a family meeting How he involves trainees in these meetings Some advice for difficult conversations The value of reading outside of intensive care and outside of medicine His obsession with animal physiology His thoughts on changes we need to make in intensive care Matt is an excellent writer with a gift for describing disease and concepts very simply. He speaks articulately too. Please enjoy listening to Matt Morgan. Andrew Davies -------------------- About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you to bring your best self to the intensive care unit, through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I hope you'll glean insights to help you improve as a healthcare professional and as a human being so you can make a truly valuable contribution to your patient's lives. -------------------- Links to people, organisations and other resources mentioned: Dr Matt Morgan website Matt Morgan on twitter Book "Critical" (by Matt Morgan) Blog piece "The ward round is broken" (by Matt Morgan) Blog piece "Burnout in healthcare workers - are we surprised" (by Peter Brindley and Matt Morgan) Other BMJ blog pieces by Matt Morgan Other blogs by Matt Morgan If this then that (IFTTT) Book "Why we Sleep" (by Matt Walker) Mastering Intensive Care podcast - Episode 40 with Ed Litton Mastering Intensive Care podcast - Episode 41 with Rana Awdish Mastering Intensive Care podcast - Episode 46 with Deborah Cook 2019 World Congress of Intensive Care Medicine New Normal Project podcast New Normal Project podcast - Episode 56 with Brad Dalrymple Mastering Intensive Care podcast Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66 Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies

Aug 29, 2019 • 1h 15min
46 - Deborah Cook - The compassionate and world-leading Canadian granting wishes at end of life
What do you do for your patients around their dying experience? Do you celebrate their lives and support those left behind in grief? Could you bring more humanity to your ICU? Whilst you and your ICU colleagues likely act with kindness much of the time, I suspect listening to this podcast will have you wondering whether you could do better, especially when your patients are receiving end of life care. This episode's guest, Professor Deborah Cook, from Hamilton in Canada, is striving to do this through the 3 Wishes Project she and her colleagues initiated several years ago. They encourage specific wishes unique to their dying patients, thereby dignifying the person, giving greater voice to the family and evoking clinician compassion. In this podcast you will hear all about this profound and important work, the sort of acts of kindness that have occurred in her ICU, the way you could approach this in your ICU, the benefits to clinical staff and institutional leaders, some of the logistical challenges they've faced, and some thoughts on spiritual care in the ICU. Deborah Cook is a Distinguished Professor at McMaster University in the Departments of Medicine, Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. As a life long clinician-scientist, she holds the first Canada Research Chair in Intensive Care Medicine and is the Academic Chair in Critical Care Medicine at McMaster. She is a founding member and 2-term Chair of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. Deborah is an active practitioner in critical care medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital where she supervises junior and senior clinical trainees. She is devoted to mentoring Masters and PhD graduate students in McMaster's Health Research Methodology Program, and junior faculty around the world, resulting in the creation of the Deborah J Cook Mentorship Award by the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. Deborah has published over 700 peer-review articles with an associated H index of 168. Her multi-method multi-disciplinary research interests include life support technology, prevention of ICU-acquired complications, end-of-life care, and research ethics. She has received numerous national and international awards for her practice, teaching, mentoring and research. She is a pre-eminent critical care scholar. Dr. Cook was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2009), a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2010), and received the inaugural Distinguished Lecturer Award in Critical Care Sciences from CIHR's Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (2017). Her work on microbiome modification in critical illness using probiotics resulted in a prestigious Killam Fellowship in Health Sciences from the Canadian Council of the Arts (2017). Deborah received the Gold Leaf Award from CIHR for her enduring contributions to health care (2019). For life long scientific contributions to the improvement of global intensive care and her foundational leadership in the first national ICU research network in the world, Dr. Cook was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada (2016). In this conversation Deborah also talks about: How she was drawn to intensive care from internal medicine How she discovered several gold mines to conduct research on Her belief that following your passion is the key to research success How humanity has fallen by the wayside as intensive care has developed How she was dissuaded from doing end of life research early in her career The growing interest in ethics and end of life care How she approaches ward rounds Dealing with our fixation on computer screens Being present and avoiding note-writing on ward rounds Her high expectations as a clinical mentor (including of herself) The importance of presence and engagement as the attending consultant The irrelevance of many of the words spoken on ward rounds The importance of keeping things fresh by releasing dying passions Her thoughts about how she cares for herself Which exercise and which books she prefers Her mindfulness practice Her love for family Some invaluable career tips Deborah is passionate about patients receiving the very best care, about clinicians delivering this in an organised and cohesive fashion, and about researchers providing the highest quality evidence to guide this. She has been a kind friend and advisor to me over many years and I can't think of anyone with a better mix of acumen, experience and personality as the ideal Mastering Intensive Care podcast guest. She is a personal favourite so please enjoy listening to the wonderful Deborah Cook. Andrew Davies -------------------- About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you to bring your best self to the intensive care unit, through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I hope you'll glean insights to help you improve as a healthcare professional and as a human being so you can make a truly valuable contribution to your patient's lives. -------------------- Links to people, organisations and other resources mentioned: Deborah Cook (McMaster University) Article about Deborah Cook Article 2 about Deborah Cook Video of Deborah Cook Canadian Critical Care Trials Group PROTECT study comparing dalteparin and heparin The 3 Wishes Project Publication from 3 Wishes Project Other publications from 3 Wishes Project ANZICS Clinical Trials Group David Sackett Book "Essentialism – The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" (by Greg McKeown) Mastering Intensive Care podcast - Episode 45 with Scott Weingart EMCrit podcast 2019 World Congress of Intensive Care Medicine New Normal Project podcast Plantfit Summit Mastering Intensive Care podcast Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66 Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies

Jul 22, 2019 • 1h 15min
45 - Scott Weingart - Useful mental strategies of a thoughtful ED intensivist and hugely influential podcaster
Today's guest is Scott Weingart, the pioneer podcaster in the intensive care field through his EMCrit podcast. Scott is an ED Intensivist from New York, where he is Chief of the Division of Emergency Critical Care at Stony Brook Hospital and a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Stony Brook Medicine. Scott has devoted his career to bringing "Upstairs Care, Downstairs" (ie. bringing ICU care down to the ED - where it needs to be). He loves his job taking care of the sickest patients, innovating new ways to do it better, and then teaching these concepts to his residents. Of course, none of that is nearly as much fun as playing with his son, Mace. Scott is best known for talking to himself about Resuscitation and Critical Care on the EMCrit podcast, which has been downloaded over 20 million times. EMCrit is also a hugely valuable blog and educational resource. In this conversation Scott talks about: How he trained to be where he is now as an ED intensivist What inspired his mission to improve critical care prior to ICU admission How he got into podcasting The benefit of putting his views out into the online community How podcasting and new media can allow the "small to be seen" The automatic peer review built in to his podcasting The value he's had from SMACC conferences and the FOAM movement His obsession to improve What a day in his life is like How his martial arts experience spurned his meditation practice What his minimal effective dose of meditation is His thoughts and use of negative visualisation and mental rehearsal The value of errors in improving ourselves The need to be care- rather than people-orientated in resuscitation How his communication is changing over time The use of dramatic pauses to spur knowledge translation and learning His advice on reading And some of his favourite books and podcasts Scott is a deep-thinking man, very focused on understanding and practicing well considered and patient-oriented care particularly at the resuscitation end of intensive or critical care medicine, and is very good with spoken language. Please enjoy listening to Scott Weingart. Andrew Davies -------------------- About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you to bring your best self to the intensive care unit, through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I hope you'll glean insights to help you improve as a healthcare professional and as a human being so you can make a truly valuable contribution to your patient's lives. -------------------- Links to people, organisations and other resources mentioned: Scott Weingart Scott Weingart on Twitter: @emcrit EMCrit podcast & website Liz Crowe Essay: The Thousand True Fans (by Kevin Kelly) Seth Godin SMACC Talk by Scott Weingart "The Path to Insanity" Talk by Scott Weingart "Kettlebells for the Brain" Mastering Intensive Care podcast - Episode 21 with Martin Bromiley Book "House of God" (by Samuel Shem) Cliff Reid Chris Hicks Sara Gray Mastering Intensive Care podcast – Episode 13 with Sara Gray Book "A Confederacy of Dunces" (by John Kennedy Toole) Book "Catch 22" (by Joseph Heller) 99% Invisible podcast Radiolab podcast The Flop House podcast Mastering Intensive Care podcast – episode 44 with Geoff Toogood Crazy Socks 4 Docs New Normal Project podcast Mastering Intensive Care podcast Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66 Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies

May 24, 2019 • 1h 28min
44 - Geoff Toogood - From severe depression to mental health advocacy through #CrazySocks4Docs
To help raise awareness about #CrazySocks4Docs this episode's guest is Dr Geoff Toogood. Geoff is a Cardiologist at Peninsula Health and in Private Practice in Melbourne, Australia. He is also a Board Member of South West Health Care, Ambassador for Beyond Blue and Ambassador for Masters Swimming Victoria. He is both a pool and open water swimmer, having competed at National and International level, using swimming for his mental wellbeing. Geoff has completed a relay across the English Channel, swum solo in the Rottnest Island swim and many other open water and pool swims. Despite having a cardiologist on the show, this is mostly a talk about mental health, rather than cardiology. Geoff has had his share of mental health struggles, having had a period of anxiety early in his career and then more recently severe depression leading to suicidal ideation. But most importantly, Geoff has used his story, told humbly and vulnerably, to create awareness about Doctors mental health and to break the stigma, through the CrazySocks4Docs movement, which you'll hear about today. All healthcare workers are at risk of mental health issues. They are more common than we realise. Mental health disorders can lead to burnout, divorce and suicide. We must talk more about this issue; so we can understand this, do things to help reduce the risk, and to help each other when we identify mental ill health in our colleagues. If we talk about this as an industry, we will hopefully all be better off. We, ourselves. Our colleagues. And more importantly, our patients. The conversation on this podcast covers: Why Geoff got into medicine and then into cardiology How cardiology has changed over his career His mental health journey starting with anxiety as a younger doctor How this progressed to depression and then suicidal ideation Some of the symptoms he felt, and the ways he supported himself His need to take leave from work and what that meant The problems of needing to see mental health professionals Dealing with telling his colleagues at work The contribution of a medical work schedule and other life stressors His current wellbeing strategies including sleep and swimming His impressive swimming career and how this acts as mindfulness How helpful it's been to him to tell his story Thoughts on resilience and the stigma of mental ill health How the Crazy Socks For Docs movement began About the 2019 #CrazySocks4Docs day on June 7th The #CrazySocks4Docs Panel Discussion being held on May 31st 2019 How his mental health is now The value of mindfulness and yoga as wellbeing tools Hearing about Geoff's struggles, how he has dealt with them, and his ongoing advocacy, is more than helpful. It's powerful. Please enjoy listening to Geoff Toogood. Andrew Davies -------------------- About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you to bring your best self to the intensive care unit, through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I hope you'll glean insights to help you improve as a healthcare professional and as a human being so you can make a truly valuable contribution to your patient's lives. -------------------- Links to people, organisations and other resources mentioned: Geoff Toogood on Twitter: @gdtoogood Crazy Socks For Docs website Crazy Socks For Docs on Twitter: @crazysocks4docs Crazy Socks For Docs on Instagram: @crazysocks4docs Crazy Socks For Docs on Facebook Geoff Toogood on LinkedIn Peninsula Health South West Health Care Masters Swimming Victoria Beyond Blue Lifeline English Channel Swim Pier to Pub Swim Portsea Swim Classic Rottnest Island Swim Dr Sally Cockburn Prof Michael Myers on Twitter: @downstatedoctor Dr Kate Harding on Twitter: @katejh1970 Dr Yumiko (Miko) Kadota on Twitter: @mindbodymiko Article 1 written by Geoff Toogood Article 2 written by Geoff Toogood Articles 3 & 4 written by Geoff Toogood Article 1 written about Geoff Toogood Article 2 written about Geoff Toogood Article 3 written about Geoff Toogood Article 4 written about Geoff Toogood Article 5 written about Geoff Toogood Article 6 written about Geoff Toogood Article 7 written about Geoff Toogood Article 8 written about Geoff Toogood Video of talk by Geoff Toogood Video of TV show featuring Geoff Toogood New Normal Project podcast New Normal Project podcast - Episode 53 with John Orchard Mastering Intensive Care podcast - Episode 32 with Kate Harding Mastering Intensive Care podcast - Episode 43 with Jo Stewart Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66 Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies

May 12, 2019 • 1h 30min
43 - Jo Stewart - Educating, leading, retaining and supporting Intensive Care nurses
On International Nurses Day, please listen to Jo Stewart, the Clinical Nurse Unit Manager at the ICU in which I work - Frankston Hospital. On May 12th, the date that commemorates the birthdate of Florence Nightingale, we celebrate every single one of the many nurses who support and care for us when we are sick. Pretty much everyone on earth comes in contact with a nurse and, for us in intensive care, nurses are so important to all that we do. Let me simply say thank you to the nurses of the world. You are the lifeblood of healthcare, and especially in hospitals. I have learnt from watching hundreds of you; about how to better care for a patient, about how to better communicate, and how to better support a critically unwell person and their loved ones. If you read the cards that are sent to the ICUs when the patients and their families want to say thank you, you'll see who they value the most. Our nurses are simply amazing. On this episode I speak with Jo Stewart. Her role as Clinical Nurse Unit Manager allows her to offer training and support to the nurses of Frankston ICU as well as to work on quality and operational requirements of the unit. Jo is passionate about education and supporting novice nurses and brings experience from a variety of specialty ICU nursing areas such as Cardiothoracics (including ECMO), Neurosurgery, and Critical Care Liaison Nursing. Jo completed her Masters in Intensive Care Nursing at The Alfred Hospital in 2007, worked in Vancouver, and then commenced working at Frankston Hospital as a Clinical Support and Development Nurse in ICU in 2011 whilst concurrently lecturing at Monash University for both Undergraduate and Post Graduate Nursing courses. In the episode Jo speaks about: How she got into ICU nursing and what she enjoys about it Attracting and retaining ICU nurses The various roles she has worked in throughout her career Educating nurses How Jo educates herself Leading as a nurse unit manager Creating the right culture as a leader How she allocates her own time to different tasks Interactions between doctors and nurses in the ICU Principles of good communication Her self-care practices Encouraging wellness for the nursing workforce Working better as a team Some tips for the ICU doctors Jo is extraordinarily passionate and enthusiastic about her role. She is very welcoming, always happy for a chat, and I thought she would make an excellent guest for the show. Please enjoy listening to Jo Stewart. Andrew Davies -------------------- About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you to bring your best self to the intensive care unit, through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I hope you'll glean insights to help you improve as a healthcare professional and as a human being so you can make the most valuable contribution to your patient's lives. -------------------- Links to people, organisations and other resources mentioned: Jo Stewart on Twitter: @JoStu82 Frankston Hospital ICU website BASIC for nurses FOAM (free open-access medical education) Insight Timer Smiling Mind 1 Giant Mind Mastering Intensive Care podcast: Episode 42 with Paul Young Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66 Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies

Apr 26, 2019 • 1h 25min
42 - Paul Young - Moving on as an ICU family after the death of a respected leader
What it is like when a much loved and respected leader in your Intensive Care suddenly dies? And do you view the people you work with in your ICU as an extended family? Paul Young, an Intensivist from New Zealand, discusses his perspectives on these questions, amongst many other valuable insights, in this important and moving interview. Paul Young is an intensive care specialist at Wellington Hospital in New Zealand where he is the co-clinical leader at Wellington ICU. He is also medical director of Wakefield Hospital ICU, Deputy Director at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, and holds a Clinical Practitioner Research Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Paul's predominant non-clinical interest is in ICU research. Since starting work as an intensive care specialist in 2010 he has published more than 120 papers in peer-reviewed journals including five papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, two in JAMA, and one in the Lancet. His involvement in clinical research has been instrumental in the development of his belief that intensive care is fundamentally about keeping people alive for long enough for them to recover whilst meddling as little as possible. In his leadership roles he encourages people to find joy in their work and to be nice to each other yet he constantly battles with his own tendency towards sarcasm. In late 2018, Dr Peter Hicks, the Clinical Lead at Wellington Hospital died suddenly. Peter was an excellent intensivist, a wonderful leader, and a friend to many in the Australian and New Zealand ICU community. His death is sad for all who knew him and most notably his family and colleagues. Paul speaks in this interview about the legacy Peter left behind, how Peter particularly guided Paul in his career and how the Wellington ICU is moving on after Peter's untimely death. In this conversation, Paul also discusses: Why he became an intensivist The cultural differences between Australia and New Zealand Telling the truth about his thoughts on the patient's likely outcome Worrying - and when it's useful and not useful The specifics of his ward round What it's like to have consultants changing daily in his ICU The start to his research career Some insights on designing clinical trials to answer important questions Why "negative studies" are so important to advance clinical practice (using the TARGET study as an example) How he keeps up with the literature including with Twitter His efforts to be more kind and to get on with people The effects of running on his general wellbeing A challenge for other units to try a "day about" clinical roster Paul is clever, incisive, and is delightfully able to simplify many concepts about intensive care practice and research. Please enjoy listening to Dr Paul Young. Andrew Davies -------------------- About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you to bring your best self to the intensive care unit, through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I hope you'll glean insights to help you improve as a healthcare professional and as a human being so you can make a truly valuable contribution to your patient's lives. -------------------- Links to people, organisations and other resources mentioned: Paul Young on Twitter: @dogICUma Wellington ICU website Tribute to Peter Hicks written by David Pilcher ANZICS CTG (Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group) Rinaldo Bellomo Critical Care Reviews Rob MacSweeney Wellington ICU Journal Club on Twitter: @WellingtonICU TARGET study Tweetorial on the TARGET study by Paul Young Rana Awdish on Twitter: @RanaAwdish Book "In Shock" (by Rana Awdish) Mastering Intensive Care podcast: Episode 3 with Rinaldo Bellomo Mastering Intensive Care podcast: Episode 19 with Alex Psirides Mastering Intensive Care podcast: Episode 20 with Jack Iwashyna Mastering Intensive Care podcast: Episode 23 - The Best of 2017 (Part 1) Mastering Intensive Care podcast: Episode 24 - The Best of 2017 (Part 2) Mastering Intensive Care podcast: Episode 39 - The Best of 2018 Mastering Intensive Care podcast – episode 41 with Rana Awdish Mastering Intensive Care podcast Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66 Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies: andrew@masteringintensivecare.com

Apr 3, 2019 • 1h 25min
41 - Rana Awdish - From In Shock to true connection with our patients
If you work in healthcare and haven't read the book "In Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope" I really hope you will. In the meantime listen to intensivist and best-selling author Dr Rana Awdish on this week's episode of Mastering Intensive Care and you'll understand why. In her book, Rana brilliantly tells the real-life story of her near-death experience and subsequent recovery into which she weaves insightful observations and reflections on both the good and the bad of the healthcare she witnessed. Whilst Rana would have died without the excellence of the team who managed her sudden medical crisis the seeming lack of humanity was stark and frequently counterproductive. At the time Rana was in the final days of her Critical Care Fellowship in Detroit. Now an intensivist and frequent public speaker she has ample experience and expertise to assist intensive care clinicians to improve, the aim of this show. Rana graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, completed Internal Medicine residency in New York, and then Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowships at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit where she now works. She is Assistant Professor at the Department of Internal Medicine, Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension program, Senior Staff Physician in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Medical Director, Care Experience. Amongst many accomplishments she is the Physician Facilitator for the CLEAR Conversations program, teaches on communication, bioethics and physician wellness, and has won the National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year Award at the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare. Apart from beautifully describing how it really felt to be a patient, Rana also talks about: The suboptimal communication encounters she remembers Her gratitude for the skill and grace she received The benefits of being more engaged and connected with our patients Why first impressions matter The value of curiosity Using mindfulness to enhance presence What being cut off from knowledge as a patient felt like Her experience of asking for working suction in her own operation The value of community in unburdening ourselves as health practitioners How Schwartz rounds can be helpful The very first patient she met after recovering from her illness Her belief that showing compassion will make you more efficient The healing effect of family member presence The benefits of self-care (and what Rana does herself) The part spirituality might play in healthcare Better understanding the use of opiates and pain management Going home after a chronic critical illness How the whole experience has affected how she acts on ward rounds Our own healthcare experiences should not be the main driver towards the compassionate and caring practitioners our patients need. But as you'll hear in this episode, they can deliver the sort of truth and learning we may not otherwise find. Please enjoy listening to Dr Rana Awdish. Andrew Davies -------------------- About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you to bring your best self to the intensive care unit, through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I hope you'll glean things to help you improve as a healthcare professional and as a human being so you can make a truly valuable contribution to your patient's lives. -------------------- Links to people, organisations and other resources mentioned: Rana Awdish on Twitter @RanaAwdish Rana Awdish website Book "In Shock" (by Rana Awdish) Mastering Intensive Care podcast – episode 35 with Paul Wischmeyer CLEAR conversations Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare Kenneth Schwartz Schwartz rounds Mindful Practice with Ronald Epstein and Mick Krasner New York Times article "After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea" (by Firoozeh Dumas) Mastering Intensive Care podcast – episode 40 with Ed Litton SMACC New Normal Project podcast Mastering Intensive Care podcast Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66 Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies

Mar 4, 2019 • 1h 16min
40 - Ed Litton - Exercise, adventure and excellent clinical care
This week's guest, Australian intensivist Dr Ed Litton, truly amazes and inspires me. Despite having a full-time clinical and research career, and a young family, Ed pursues his passion for adventure mostly through ultra-endurance exercise. Many intensivists run, swim, cycle or do other sorts of vigorous exercise in their spare time. Some even run marathons, swim regularly with a squad or cycle long distances to and from work. Some do all 3 by competing in triathlon events. Yet not too many intensivists take on ironman triathlons like Ed does. And how many cycle across Australia from Sydney to Perth as he did a couple of years ago? Ed uses adventure and exercise to keep refreshed for his busy medical career. So to me this podcast conversation is a real treat. Hearing about this massive cross-continent bike ride, the recent family cycling trip across the New Zealand Alps he and his wife did with their 2 young children, and his love for other physical pursuits like surfing and climbing, is both educational and inspiring. Ed Litton is a Staff Specialist in Intensive Care Medicine and Director of ICU Research at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, Australia, and a Clinical Research Fellow in the ICU at St John of God Hospital in Subiaco. He is the recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship and is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia. Ed is a member of the executive committee of the Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcomes Research Evaluation where he is clinical director of the Critical Care Resources Registry. He's received over $6M in research support and published over 60 manuscripts in the peer reviewed literature. I have admired Ed and his thoughtful approach to intensive care and to life for several years now. Apart from his approach to adventure and exercise he has many valuable perspectives on his bedside approach including: What fascinates him about Intensive Care Some of the things he learnt from his key mentors The importance of reassurance for patients Mixing patient-centred and digital information The 2 phase ward round at his ICU The internal pressure he felt as a new consultant to make fast decisions Creating the right atmosphere in communicating with colleagues His tendency to ruminate about his patients Fatigue during ward rounds His thoughts on sleep How he uses meditation The value of reading books The difficulty in trying to be a jack of all trades in our careers. Ed is caring, mature and very patient-focused. He's also a super fit athlete. Please enjoy listening to the podcast. Andrew Davies -------------------- About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you to bring your best self to the intensive care unit through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I hope you'll hear perspectives to help you improve as a healthcare professional and as a human being with the aim of helping your patients receive the best possible care. -------------------- Links to people, organisations and other resources mentioned: Ed Litton on Twitter: @ed_litton Article about Ed Litton's bike ride across Australia Alex Psirides Simon Finfer Muse Rottnest Island swim New Normal Project podcast New Normal Project podcast - episode 48 with Caldwell Esselstyn New Normal Project podcast - episode 49 with Scott Stoll Book "In Shock" (by Rana Awdish) Mastering Intensive Care podcast Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66 Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies

Jan 20, 2019 • 1h 5min
39 - The Best of Mastering Intensive Care in 2018
Happy New Year. Here's hoping 2019 is a great one for you. Mastering Intensive Care is aimed to inspire and empower you, as an intensive care clinician, to bring your best self to the ICU, through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I think there's a gap in education on the topics we cover on this show and hopefully you find my guests useful. During the Christmas/New Year period I listened to all of the episodes I published in 2018. This allowed me to learn what I can do better as a podcaster and to package up the best bits of a year's worth of podcasts into something I think is valuable on its own. It truly astounds me how extraordinary the advice, perspectives and stories of my guests are and I hope you find something to help you in most episodes. I couldn't include all 2018 guests on this episode so I picked the best excerpts in my humble opinion. I am sorry if I chose a guest (or left out a guest) that you would not have. If you've heard them before it should jog your memory. If you missed some of the episodes it helps you to catch up on them. If you are a new listener this is a flavour of what this show is all about. I hope you enjoy what I see to be a crash course of what we covered during 2018 and one that can help you to bring your best self to work in 2019. Thanks for listening. Andrew Davies -------------------- People, organisations and resources mentioned in the episode: New Normal Project podcast – Episode 46 with Andy Ramage OYNB challenge MIC Episode 32 with Kate Harding MIC Episode 38 with June Goh SG-ANZICS Asia Pacific Forum Singapore SICM ANZICS MIC Episode 35 with Paul Wischmeyer MIC Episode 27 with John Santamaria MIC Episode 28 with Simon Finfer MIC Episode 25 with Sarah Yong MIC Episode 33 with Wes Ely MIC Episode 29 with Claire Davies New Normal Project podcast Mastering Intensive Care podcast Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66 Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies: andrew@masteringintensivecare.com

Dec 23, 2018 • 1h 18min
38 - June Goh - Leading by creating a family-like department culture (SG-ANZICS special episode)
How well do you know your colleagues? How much do you socialise with them? Do you have an annual retreat for your colleagues and their families? After you listen to this episode you may reflect on these questions. To give your patients the very best care possible it seems obvious that your team needs to know each other, understand the strengths and weaknesses of each other, and combine and communicate well in the clinical environment. So how much time does your department devote to fostering a department culture that feels like a family? Including getting to know each team member's actual family. How much do you do? My Intensive Care department does this pretty well but we could always do better. And we haven't done a retreat in my time working there. In the final episode of 2018, you'll listen to Dr June Goh who is all about fostering such a family environment. She came up with the idea of taking her colleagues and their families on an annual weekend retreat over a decade ago. And she organises regular resident and medical officer engagement sessions with fun activities. All of which I suspect brings them tighter together as a more harmonious team, thereby helping their patients. June is a Senior Consultant in Singapore General Hospital and the Director of Neuroanaesthesia and Neurocritical Care. She is very involved in teaching both medical students and post graduate doctors as member of the Core Faculty Anaesthesia Residency Programme, Chair of the Residency Welfare Committee, Adjunct Assistant Professor Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Clinical Lecturer in the Yong Loo Lin Medical School. She chairs the Singapore General Hospital transplant oversight committee. June also currently serves on the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Board, Dover Park Hospice Governing Council and co-chairs the fundraising committee. She has been an active member and past president of the Association of Women Doctors Singapore (AWDS) helping out with the various activities organised by AWDS. June is currently President of the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations and is passionate about women's family and health issues. This episode was recorded in May 2018 as a live interview in front of a conference audience at the 5th SG-ANZICS Asia Pacific Intensive Care Forum. Thanks to that meeting's Organising Committee, representing Singapore's Society of Intensive Care Medicine (SICM), Singapore, and the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS), I was invited to conduct several live interviews for this podcast. Many thanks to Tan Hon Liang and David Ku for this opportunity. In this conversation June also spoke on topics such as: Her early career Her perspective on Singaporean gender equality How she mixed bringing up her children with being a busy doctor Building trust and rapport to strengthen communication with patient's families Her perspective on some of the innovations in medical education Coping with work stresses to stay balanced Managing our device usage in the smartphone era Identifying and mentoring successors to our institutional roles Her thoughts on lifestyle factors such as yoga, exercise and sleep Her enjoyment of fashion The Mastering Intensive Care podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you, as an intensive care clinician, to bring your best self to the intensive care unit, through conversations with thought-provoking guests. My hope is that by listening to the show you'll hear at least one thing to help you improve, as either a healthcare professional or as a person, with the ultimate aim of helping your patients. Please help me to spread the message by simply telling one of your colleagues, posting on social media or subscribing, rating and reviewing the podcast. To connect, leave a comment on the Facebook "mastering intensive care" page, on the LITFL episode page, on twitter using #masteringintensivecare, or by sending me an email at andrew@masteringintensivecare.com. This is an enjoyable, thought-provoking and wide-ranging discussion with a woman doctor who is advancing the cause of women in and out of medicine whilst also compassionately caring for her patients and her team Thanks for listening. Andrew Davies -------------------- People, organisations and resources mentioned in the episode: June Goh at Singapore Council of Women's Organisations: http://www.scwo.org.sg/about-us/who-we-are/dr-june-goh/ June Goh at Association of Women Doctors (Singapore): http://www.awds.org.sg/dr-june-goh/ SG-ANZICS Asia Pacific Forum: http://sg-anzics.com/ Human Organ Transplant Act (Singapore): https://www.gov.sg/factually/content/what-is-hota-all-about Article by June Goh on Gender Equality: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/commentary-on-gender-equality-and-whether-women-can-have-it-all-9114542 June Goh featured in Bazaar Magazine: https://www.harpersbazaar.com.sg/exclusives/bazaar-magazine/bazaar-stylish-women-2017-june-goh-rin/ June Goh featured in The Peak Magazine: https://thepeakmagazine.com.sg/interviews/june-goh-doctor-teacher-family-woman-fashionista/ New Normal Project podcast: http://newnormalproject.libsyn.com/ New Normal Project podcast - Episode 45 with Neal Barnard: http://newnormalproject.libsyn.com/episode-45-neal-barnard-how-to-start-plant-based-eating-and-which-health-benefits-you-might-expect New Normal Project podcast - Episode 46 with Andy Ramage: http://newnormalproject.libsyn.com/episode-46-andy-ramage-using-an-alcohol-free-challenge-to-reframe-your-relationship-with-alcohol Mastering Intensive Care podcast - Episode 37 with Michael O'Leary: http://masteringintensivecare.libsyn.com/episode-37-michael-oleary-dealing-with-the-frustrations-of-the-changing-icu-landscape-sg-anzics-special-episode Book: "In Shock" (by Dr Rana Awdish) https://www.ranaawdishmd.com/book Mastering Intensive Care podcast: http://masteringintensivecare.libsyn.com Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masteringintensivecare Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast lane: https://lifeinthefastlane.com/litfl/mastering-intensive-care Twitter handle for Andrew Davies: @andrewdavies66 Instagram handle for Andrew Davies: @andrewdavies66 Email Andrew Davies: andrew@masteringintensivecare.com


