Manifesting change: an organisation’s approach to burnout, recruitment, and retention of junior doctors in Western Australia
Katie McLeod A * , Deepan Krishnasivam A and George Eskander BA
B
Abstract
Facing unprecedented levels of junior medical officer (JMO) vacancies, absenteeism, and burnout, the Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group (SCGOPHCG) collaborated with JMOs to create and implement the JMO Manifesto in January of 2023. With the aim of improving the organisation’s attraction, recruitment, and retention of JMOs, this initiative consisted of five strategic imperatives that addressed key workplace issues affecting JMOs: (1) part-time work opportunities, (2) access to leave and (3) overtime pay, (4) limited support for workplace issues (particularly after-hours), and (5) poor workplace culture and bullying. Led by the Clinical Services team, the JMO Manifesto was an investment in building JMO wellbeing, trust, and engagement with simple but innovative strategies. The effectiveness of these strategies was evaluated by comparing pre- and post-JMO Manifesto results from routinely collected organisational data (e.g. vacancy rates) and JMO feedback through the annual Hospital Health Check survey by the Australian Medical Association. Within 6 months, the SCGOPHCG was fully recruited, had created 35 new part-time positions and new processes for managing leave, overtime claims, and support for JMOs. Eighteen months in, we remain the top-ranking public health service provider for access to leave, claiming of un-rostered overtime, workplace culture and morale, and wellbeing support for JMOs in Western Australia. The JMO Manifesto highlights the importance of healthcare organisations investing in the engagement and wellbeing of their junior doctors to achieve a sustainable medical workforce.
Keywords: burnout, engagement, junior doctors, junior medical officer, leadership, recruitment, retention, wellbeing, workforce.
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