• Home
  • Practice Focus
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
    • How I Do It
    • TRIO Best Practices
  • Business of Medicine
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Practice Management
    • Tech Talk
    • AI
  • Literature Reviews
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Career
    • Medical Education
    • Professional Development
    • Resident Focus
  • ENT Perspectives
    • ENT Expressions
    • Everyday Ethics
    • From TRIO
    • The Great Debate
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Rx: Wellness
    • The Voice
    • Viewpoint
  • TRIO Resources
    • Triological Society
    • The Laryngoscope
    • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
    • TRIO Combined Sections Meetings
    • COSM
    • Related Otolaryngology Events
  • Search

Gratitude, Reconnection, and Generosity Increase the Value of Our Peer Relationships

by Robin W. Lindsay, MD • January 18, 2023

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Print-Friendly Version

It’s the start of a new year, and as I start on a new journey of leading ENTtoday, I’d like to share with you some thoughts I’ve had on gratitude in general and reconnecting in particular. As otolaryngologists, we aren’t able to care for our patients without the support of countless healthcare community members—unlike some professions, we cannot do our job alone or remotely. I am very grateful for anesthesia providers, OR and perioperative nurses, surgical techs, administrative staff, physician assistants, and medical assistants, all of whom are vital to our having the privilege to operate on patients with head and neck disorders.

You Might Also Like

  • How Current Peer-To-Peer Sessions Profoundly Impact Patient Care and Physician Wellbeing
  • The Role of Generosity in Medicine
  • Collegial Relationships: Extending Otolaryngology Practice with Other Professional Providers
  • Letter from the Editor: Peer Reviewing Sensational Headlines
Explore This Issue
January 2023

Strong relationships with our healthcare teams not only improve quality of care but also improve well-being, decreasing the risk of burnout. Some of the most enjoyable parts of my day are catching up with members of my surgical team; sharing stories of our lives, our stressors, our successes, and our dreams connects us as humans. It makes my job even more fulfilling. A quick hello, a gentle nod with a smile (hidden under a mask) while passing colleagues in the OR hallways, connects us.

We work in a unique environment where we’re able to positively impact the microclimate of our OR room. Numerous studies have shown that creating a psychologically safe environment where everyone can voice suggestions and concerns improves the quality of care. Creation of psychologically safe microclimates over time should evolve into an overall improvement of work culture in healthcare. In this time of staffing shortages and economic uncertainty, it’s even more important to take the extra time to connect, acknowledge contributions, and express gratitude.

At the end of 2019, to be honest, I was a little burned out on work travel, having gone to three meetings in three weeks, traveling halfway around the globe. While I loved the comradery of dinners with friends and the opportunity to present my research, it was tiring in combination with maintaining a clinical practice and home activities with an (amazingly supportive) spouse and three kids. That said, I did not need a three-year hiatus. Walking down the corridor at the convention center in Philadelphia at the AAO–HNS meeting, I felt the energy and connection that was present at pre-COVID meetings. While the stated purpose of the meetings is CME, it’s also a chance to connect with our colleagues from around the world and, importantly, to introduce our trainees to colleagues outside of our local geography.

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Departments, Home Slider, Letter From the Editor Tagged With: peer relationshipsIssue: January 2023

You Might Also Like:

  • How Current Peer-To-Peer Sessions Profoundly Impact Patient Care and Physician Wellbeing
  • The Role of Generosity in Medicine
  • Collegial Relationships: Extending Otolaryngology Practice with Other Professional Providers
  • Letter from the Editor: Peer Reviewing Sensational Headlines

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

Polls

Do you use AI-powered scribes for documentation?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive

Top Articles for Residents

  • Applications Open for Resident Members of ENTtoday Edit Board
  • How To Provide Helpful Feedback To Residents
  • Call for Resident Bowl Questions
  • New Standardized Otolaryngology Curriculum Launching July 1 Should Be Valuable Resource For Physicians Around The World
  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • How to: Positioning for Middle Cranial Fossa Repair of Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence

    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment

    • Rating Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Severity: How Do Two Common Instruments Compare?

    • Otolaryngologists Are Still Debating the Effectiveness of Tongue Tie Treatment

    • Endoscopic Ear Surgery: Advancements and Adoption Challenges 

    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment

    • Rating Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Severity: How Do Two Common Instruments Compare?

    • Is Middle Ear Pressure Affected by Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Use?

    • Otolaryngologists Are Still Debating the Effectiveness of Tongue Tie Treatment

    • Complications for When Physicians Change a Maiden Name

    • The Importance of Time Away
    • Endoscopic Ear Surgery: Advancements and Adoption Challenges 
    • Reflections from a Past President of the Triological Society
    • ENT Surgeons Explore the Benefits and Challenges of AI-Powered Scribes: Revolutionizing Documentation in Healthcare
    • How To: Open Expansion Laryngoplasty for Combined Glottic and Subglottic Stenosis

Follow Us

  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • The Triological Society
  • The Laryngoscope
  • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies

Wiley

Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies. ISSN 1559-4939