Cast & Curious

Tag: generations

  • Social Media’s Role in Bridging Healthcare’s Generational Gap

    At the height of COVID-19 pandemic, a nurse posted a video of them dancing inside an empty emergency room with a big bold text caption complaining their work isn’t valued. That video went viral and although there were multiple and vastly diverse interpretations, the video posting didn’t go well with the health care organization’s (HCO) leadership and resulted to tumultuous reorganization within.

    One HCO leader complained in one conference that their “younger” HC provider seemingly had a different work ethic, behaviour, loyalty and respect for older peers. She continued that the government should mandate that the diaspora of healthcare workers be stopped immediately as our healthcare system is collapsing because of worker shortages.

    T1: Is there a generational gap in the healthcare workforce?

    The Gap.

    There’s no denying that the workforce now mostly consist of the younger generation of healthcare workers- the millennials. These young healthcare workers are adept at digital technology and would rather work and interact with their peers collaboratively. Contrast that with the existing HCO leadership and structure. Most HCO leaders are Baby Boomers whos used to running a top down, highly structured, regulated and bureaucratic organization. The above mentioned stories exemplifies the “clash” happening if this “gap” isn’t bridged. A gap that is making the shortage in our healthcare workforce- nurses in particular, worse.

    There are myriad of reasons for the continued shrinking of our healthcare workforce. Generational gap though rather correlational than a direct cause, is just one of these factors. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the gap even more, pressuring the already volatile and complex healthcare system, widening the generational misunderstanding between HCO’s workforce and its leaders. In the words of one famous motivational keynote speaker, this shift or gap is a “cycle”. The shift is the same as what other older generation experience during their time, when they were rebelling with their predecessor generation. Understanding this shift is key to solving this gap and communication may be the only doable course of action for now.

    T2: What is the role of social media in bridging this healthcare workforce generational gap?

    Health Is Social.

    I wasn’t surprised when our HR reported one of the more effective hiring platform we have right now is social media. Even the previously held “word of mouth” campaigns are now spread on social media. Initial hiring activities and engagements takes place on social media. Most healthcare workers keep tabs of the various HCOs social media pages as a way to scout for potential opportunities.

    The first story above highlights another generational difference often misconstrued by older generations- the young workers need for constant recognition and multiple technologies. Older HCO leaders may take this as counterproductive to work and are often suppressed in the workplace as a bad work ethic or behavior. Many HCO leaders neglect that part that the new generation needs constant feedback and communication and will be valuable assets if their team effort are reinforced and recognized.

    Internally, many millennials prefer to work in a flat organization, engaging in a more collaborative approach rather than a strictly structured system our healthcare system is built. The young healthcare leaders build networks and interact with thru social media. As many HCO leaders now knew, most “unofficial” work related discussions are happening over social media. And we’d rather look at this as a problem rather than an opportunity to engage.

    T3: What social media strategy will you recommend in bridging this healthcare generational gap?

    Strategy for an opportunity.

    Personally, social media role in bridging this gap is to connect or engage the seemingly different generations. Thus, socmed strategy primarily deals with this objective. I knew one baby boomer HCO leader say sorry to a millenial HCW via messenger, initiated a face to face meeting with the team, listened to their concerns and proactively set up a group page within the hospital socmed platform to work collaboratively and find solution to these concerns. Another multinational HCO hired an external social media manager, integrated it into its HR HCW engagement team and increase the younger generation participation in hospital patient and employees initiatives. An even more proactive baby boomer HCO leader trained himself social media tactics and used the various platform to connect and provide feedback to his peers.

    Taking on social media as a tool does have it setbacks though. In healthcare, patient information privacy should be protected. While many social media platforms are free, a deliberate attempt to harness its power needs some serious investments both in human capital and finances.

    The role of socmed in bridging generational gap now is even clearer than before. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted this and will weigh considerably even in a post pandemic healthcare. Taking advantage of this opportunity will be the topic of this Saturday’s #HealthXPH tweetchat 9PM Manila time. Join us by live tweeting your answers to these guide questions and appending “#HealthXPh” to your tweets.

    [su_box title=”Generational Gap in Healthcare Profession”]
    [su_list icon=”icon: hand-o-right”]

    • T1. Is there a generational gap in the healthcare?
    • T2. What is the role of social media in bridging this healthcare generational gap?
    • T3. What social media strategy will you recommend in bridging this healthcare generational gap? [/su_list] [/su_box]

      See you all at the #HealthXPh chat!

      Image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik

  • Addressing generational medical learning stereotypes

    Does generational learning stereotypes affect  graduate medical education?

    Consider these medical educator- medical student thoughts:

    Medical Educator: Some of this generation’s medical students lack interest and commitment to their medical training. With all the health information inside their laptops and tablets, they find it hard to answer my questions confidently.

    Gen X student: I hate professor A! He expects us to read chapters in our textbook, do research on the side, while simultaneously go on clinical duty 48 hours a week!
    First observation is common among medical educators, although local documented research on this is lacking. Observation number two is a common complaint among medical students, often perceived as lack of interest by many health educators.

    Meyer and Weiner in 2002 Journal of American Medical Education pointed this out:

    Empirical evidence shows that college students are becoming less interested in attending medical school. The number of applicants to medical schools in the United States has dropped approximately 20% during the last 10 years.

    In short, unless new research would point to otherwise, generational stereotypes do (negatively?) affect learning in graduate medical education.

    There are many ways to develop and improve a medical curriculum. I am only familiar with Kern’s Six Step approach(in picture below) to curriculum development for medical education. (Here’s a link to the book at Amazon. See disclosure).

    Kern's 6 Step Approach
    Kern’s 6 Step Approach to Curriculum Development

    A health educations study applying Kern’s six step is discussed in this article. Here is a more detailed presentation of Kern’s Six Step to developing med ed curriculum by Joanne Lynn, MD, MPH Department of Neurology, Associate Dean of Student Life Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Suffice to say, there are hundred of ways to address the generational learning stereotypes in medical education. It’s never easy, but it can be done says. Dr. Lynn.

    Natalie May of St. Emelyn’s Emergency Medicine #FOAMed sums up beautifully in post, the generational stereotypes ( she called “challenges in medical curriculum”) and the corresponding learning environment adjustments we can make to address these challenges.

    Yes, of course it’s exhausting and hard work to rethink our education strategies – it’s much easier to stick up a two hundred slide lecture and read it from the screen but we owe the next generation of doctors more than this. And if we stick to teaching the way that worked for us, we are forcing them to do the hard work of trying to fit into our schema – and isn’t that against the very essence of education?

    In one tweetchat episode (Residency Training in a Millenial World) hosted by Dr. Helen Madamba, a medical educator herself, we also tackled generational learner stereotypes among residents of a training program. In this Saturday’s edition of #HealthXPh chat, we dig deeper into the medical curriculum and discuss possible solutions to this challenge. Our guiding questions are:

    • T1.  As a healthcare student or healthcare professional, do you believe generational stereotypes affect learning in medical education? Why?
    • T2. Does your institution’s medical curriculum acknowledge these generational stereotypes exist and have done steps to address it? How?
    • T3. Which of Kern’s Six Step approach do you think is the best step to intervene and address this challenge? Least? Why?

    Please give your final thoughts after discussing these Qs.

    Join us this Saturday July 8, 2017 9PM Manila time as #HealthXPh discuss generational learner stereotypes on #healthXPh twitter chat!

    #meded #healthed #healthprofed #medicaleducation

    ( Disclosure: The author used an Amazon affiliate link for one of the book cited in this post.)

    References:

    1. Meyer AA, Weiner TM. The Generation GapPerspectives of a Program Director. Arch Surg. 2002;137(3):268-270. doi:10.1001/archsurg.137.3.268
    2. Kern DE, Thomas PA, Hughes MT. Curriculum Development for Medical Education: A Six‑Step Approach. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: The John’s Hopkins University Press; 2009.
    3. Sweet LR, Palazzi DL. Application of Kern’s Six-step approach to curriculum development by global health residents. Educ Health 2015;28:138-41.
    4. Natalie May.”Generation Why – Challenges in Medical Education at #NSWMET”. August 10, 2016. Blog : St.Emlyn’s Emergency Medicine #FOAMed

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