Training a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Team in Motivational Interviewing

Rehabilitation Research and Practice, 2015 · DOI: 10.1155/2015/358151 · Published: November 19, 2015

Spinal Cord Injury Mental Health Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

Health professionals working with spinal cord injury patients face challenging situations, dealing with both physical and psychological needs of patients and their families. Training programs based on motivational interviewing (MI) techniques can potentially improve empathy, satisfaction, and reduce stress among these professionals. This study aimed to assess the impact of a tailored MI training program on burnout, empathy, and job satisfaction among professionals in a spinal cord injury unit.

Study Duration

3 years

Participants

N=45 rehabilitation professionals working in a spinal cord injury unit

Evidence Level

Quasiexperimental pre-post control design

Key Findings

1
The study found that professionals in the SCI unit generally exhibited satisfactory empathy, job satisfaction, and low levels of burnout before the training.
2
No significant improvements were observed in empathy, job satisfaction, or burnout levels after the MI training program.
3
Women showed higher preintervention scores in emotional exhaustion and the 'ability to stand in patients' shoes' compared to men, but this difference disappeared after the training.

Research Summary

This study investigated the impact of a tailored motivational interviewing (MI) training program on rehabilitation professionals working in a spinal cord injury (SCI) unit, focusing on empathy, burnout, and job satisfaction. The study found that the professionals already exhibited satisfactory levels of empathy and job satisfaction with low burnout levels prior to the training. The MI training did not result in significant improvements in the measured variables, possibly due to the already high baseline scores. However, professionals rated the training very satisfactory.

Practical Implications

Training Design Considerations

Future training programs should incorporate patient feedback to accurately evaluate professionals' empathy and deliver training in small groups with personalized feedback.

Assessment of Performance

Assess professionals' performance in real patient interactions to identify areas for improvement and implement regular coaching sessions.

Broader Variable Measurement

In addition to burnout, empathy, job-related stress, and satisfaction, consider measuring mastery, self-efficacy, and confidence.

Study Limitations

1
Professionals could overestimate their empathy.
2
Specific measures to assess real performance facing patients were not included.
3
Coaching and reviewing sessions were not demanded for all professionals.

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