What is the rationale for the peer support program?

Physicians face unique challenges. Even clinicians with robust personal support networks stand to benefit tremendously from sharing their experiences with peers who have been in a similar situation and can truly understand and empathize with the pain, stress, vulnerability, and fear that are common emotional responses to physician experiences such as patient complaints, adverse events, and others.

 

What is the goal of peer support?

Peer support offers a safe way for clinicians to talk about their experience and emotions with someone who has empathy from having “been there.” The focus of peer support is not to fix the problem. Instead, we offer short-term support through non-judgmental listening, we empower you to recognize existing strengths and resources to find strategies that work for them, and we connect you to community resources if needed.

Peer support is essentially psychological first aid. It is not therapy, mentorship from an experienced peer, or direct clinical care.

 

When might someone benefit from peer support?

Peer support might be helpful for physicians who experience work or life stressors and require emotional, non-judgmental support. Examples of this might include:

• Adverse clinical event (including but not limited to an adverse patient outcome).
• Patient or college complaint.
• Interpersonal/relational conflict with a patient or colleague.
• Acute life stressor which impacts career (e.g. birth of a new child or bereavement).
• Struggles with burnout/moral injury.
• A change that has happened at work that impacts you emotionally.

 

How can I request peer support?

To access peer support, please click here to access the referral request form.

 

What happens after I make a peer support request?

After submitting information on the referral form, the administrative support person from the Division with access to the Peer Support e-mail address will receive a notification that the form has been filled out. Only one person has access to this account at a time. The administrative support person will then identify a peer supporter and they will receive your contact details. The peer supporter will reach out to you within 72 hours to schedule a conversation.

 

What does a peer support conversation look like?

Peer support conversations occur through the modality of your choice – in person, phone call, or video call/Zoom. The duration of a conversation will vary based on your needs – generally 15-45 minutes. Peer support relationships are short-term, which means that you will likely have 1-3 conversations with your peer supporter.

 

What if I have more questions?

Please contact the North Shore Physician Peer Support Program administrator by emailing: peersupport@nsdivision.ca.