Psychological Aspects of Working as an Anesthesiologist

Author(s): Katarzyna Podhorodecka, Pawe? Radkowski.

Introduction: The anesthesiologist is a representative of the specialty exposed to severe professional stress occurring in every field of his activity. They are reported to have higher rates of burnout compared with other specialists.

Aim: The aim of this paper is to discuss the psychological aspects of working as an anaesthesiologist.

Material and methods: This work is based on the authors’ experience and available literature.

Results and discussion: In the profession of anaesthesiologist not only the manual skills but above all the psychological resistance to stress is very important. The anaesthesiologist must act quickly, but in a thoughtful manner, because each decision can have enormous consequences. Resilience and teamwork combined with decisiveness should distinguish a good anaesthesiologist. Even experienced anaesthesiologists can experience tremendous stress in a sudden critical situation, therefore, simulation of adverse effects and development of appropriate habits are of great importance. The following article highlights the important aspects of anaesthetic practice, not only to reduce stress but also to increase safety during patient anaesthesia.

Conclusion: Stress resistance is the most important quality of an anesthesiologist. Moreover, active listening, critical thinking, sound judgment, and decision-making are also crucial.