Evguenia S. Popova, PhD, OTR/L,
Instructor, Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program
Rush University, Chicago, Illinois;
Celeste Januszewski, OTD, OTR/L, Clinical Assistant Professor,
Department of Occupational Therapy
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois;
Bridget Hahn, OTD, OTR/L, Assistant Professor,
Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program
Rush University, Chicago, Illinois
Earn .1 AOTA CEU (1.25 NBCOT PDU/1 contact hour)
Abstract
Interpersonal stress has been consistently linked in literature to burnout in health care. This article examines the intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of burnout that results from interpersonal stress and introduces strategies for building resilience using the Intentional Relationship Model (IRM; Taylor, 2020). The core elements of the model and IRM’s six-step interpersonal reasoning process are applied to the challenging events that occur in practice.
Practitioners learn to cultivate mindful empathy, critical self-awareness, and interpersonal
competency to build resilience on personal, individual, team, and organizational levels. Structure and reflection questions are provided for practitioners to reflect on their strengths and opportunities for growth. Practitioners are encouraged to develop an action plan to navigate challenges and advocate for change.
Learning Objectives
After reading this article, you should be able to:
1. Describe intrapersonal and interpersonal contributors to practitioner burnout in health care
2. Identify how the IRM can be applied to support intrapersonal and interpersonal intentionality and objectivity during stressful dynamics among individuals, teams, and organizations
3. Identify IRM-based strategies for active coping during stressful dynamics among individuals, teams, and organizations
4. Discuss the IRM-based strategies presented in a case example of a therapist experiencing challenging dynamics with a client, co-workers, and hospital systems
5. Describe an action plan for building intrapersonal and interpersonal resilience with individuals, teams, and organizations
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