Trauma Awareness and Sensitivity in Anesthesia Practice: Principles of Trauma-Informed Care

Authors:

Listed Alphabetically

• Larry Chu
• Joanna Mary Davies
• Emily Parks
• Tracey Vogel

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Define the concepts of psychological trauma, medical trauma, and trauma-informed care in a healthcare setting with at least 80% accuracy on a post-test. (Specific, Measurable)
• List at least 3 potential triggers or sources of medical trauma that patients may experience during medical procedures or hospitalization. (Specific, Measurable)
• Demonstrate the use of compassionate, non-judgmental language in response to a patient disclosure of medical PTSD in a simulated scenario. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant)
• Conduct culturally humble trauma screening and needs assessment for a patient from a marginalized population who has experienced medical trauma, accounting for potential barriers to care. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant)
• Identify 3 evidence-based self-care strategies to manage secondary traumatic stress from witnessing patients’ suffering from medical PTSD. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable)
• Report increased confidence in providing trauma-informed care to patients with medical trauma, assessed by pre- and post-training surveys. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant)

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for practicing anesthesiologists seeking to gain knowledge and skills related to providing trauma-informed care.

It will benefit anesthesiologists who:

• Work with patient populations disproportionately affected by trauma
• Want to integrate trauma-informed principles into their regular practice
• Feel unsure how to compassionately respond to patients’ trauma experiences
• Are interested in improving care for those with medical PTSD
• Seek to make their patients feel safer during medical procedures
• Wish to implement more culturally humble care
• Experience secondary trauma and want self-care skills
• Desire to advocate for broader adoption of trauma-informed care

This course is intended for anesthesiologists at any stage of their career who aspire to provide exceptional care for all patients, especially the most vulnerable. Participants should be open-minded, empathetic, and motivated to enhance their clinical skills.