Written by Grant Charles

RESEARCH PROJECT: exploring the experiences of pediatric medical residents

Lead investigators/designated PI’s

Andrea Johnson, Grant Charles, and Hal Siden

Investigator/study status

REB is closed and analysis is in progress 

Approval Date

2017

Timeline

The study is closed. Analysis is estimated to be completed by May 2022.

This study is an exploratory inquiry into the experiences of medical residents within a pediatric palliative (PPC) care setting. Very little is known about these experiences beyond residents’ self-perceptions of their skill development and content knowledge within this area of specialized practice. Anecdotally, residents appear to experience clinical rotations in PPC in different ways than rotations in acute pediatrics medical practice. Expanding understanding of these experiences will not only inform how they experience a rotation in palliative care, and with young patients living with medical complexity and a life-limiting disease, but also inform a greater understanding of their needs as pediatrics residents within this kind of rotation.

The goal is to better understand the holistic experiences of residents within a clinical rotation in PPC. 

Objectives

  1. To offer a rich description of the life-worlds of pediatrics residents within palliative care. 
  2. To contribute to the understanding of their experiences beyond skill development and content learning.

This project will take place via qualitative study and the methodology is phenomenology. Fifteen residents were invited to participate in this study at the time of their rotation and interviewed within the month following their rotation. Interviews were semi structured and open-ended, although guided by an interview protocol. To supplement the interviews, research memos and journaling occurred throughout the data collection. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed and data analysis is informed by the study’s methodology.