Experts Discuss How Educators Can Fight COVID-19 Fatigue

FORT WORTH – TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine faculty members Jennifer Allie, Ph.D., senior associate dean of faculty affairs; Debra Atkisson, M.D., associate professor and physician development coach; and Curby Alexander, Ph.D., associate professor of professional practice at TCU’s College of Education joined us for a discussion about how educators can fight COVID-19 fatigue.

Our experts discussed a new solution being implemented in at the school of medicine and how educators can re-connect with their “purpose” as role models for students and find sparks of joy.

You can watch the full discussion below.

Here is a list of resources educators can use to improve their health and wellness

• Ten Percent Happier – features podcasts, blog posts, meditations all free to help: https://www.tenpercent.com/covid

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Webpage for Coping with Stress: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

• American Psychiatric Association webpage on warning signs of mental illness: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/warning-signs-of-mental-illness

• American Psychiatric Association webpage with many resources on coping: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/coping-after-disaster-trauma

• Helping Healthy Children Manage Stress: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Pages/Helping-Children-Handle-Stress.aspx

• Mindfulness Coach from the VA for everyone – free app: https://mobile.va.gov/app/mindfulness-coach

• Calm – app for anxiety: https://www.calm.com/

• Headspace app: https://www.headspace.com/

• AAMC state of faculty burnout: State of Faculty Burnout – AAMC Analysis in Brief, 2019: https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/analysis-brief/report/burnout-among-us-medical-school-faculty

• Thomas Kannampallil conducted three surveys of physician trainees in mid-2020 to determine whether burnout was exacerbated by their exposure to people who had been hospitalized with COVID-19: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0237301

• Mental Health Action Day information: https://www.mentalhealthactionday.org/?fbclid=IwAR0nvxSIC4nHKEhZidoivWp9GK5L1eTaNnop2rCudZ7dmAMpAcrCT3C3Tgc

• NPR: Burnout The Crisis Plaguing Healthcare Workers: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/29/992155573/burnout-the-crisis-plaguing-health-care-workers?fbclid=IwAR3cxeeQfZyCYQOGoR2ps7QoqXlOUDmZQ0ppm5jxciVf2JIYDRsFTetlD04

• Physician Development Coaches at TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine: https://mdschool.tcu.edu/empathetic-scholar/physician-development-coaches/

Crisis Help
• Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
• National Suicide Prevention Life: 1-800-273-8255 or Chat online with Lifeline
• Crisis Textline: Text TALK to 741741