The clinical climate refers to the psychological and environmental atmosphere in which clinical care is delivered. The clinical climate can have a significant impact on patient outcomes and healthcare provider performance.
A positive clinical climate can improve patient satisfaction, increase healthcare provider job satisfaction, and reduce the risk of medical errors. A supportive and respectful clinical environment can also increase collaboration and teamwork among healthcare providers, resulting in improved communication and more effective delivery of care.
On the other hand, a negative clinical climate, characterized by a lack of support, bullying, and harassment, can lead to poor job satisfaction among healthcare providers, increased staff turnover, and decreased patient satisfaction. A negative clinical climate can also result in poor communication and decreased collaboration among healthcare providers, which can negatively impact patient outcomes.
Therefore, creating and maintaining a positive clinical climate is essential for ensuring high-quality patient care and a healthy work environment for healthcare providers. This can be achieved by promoting open communication, fostering teamwork, providing adequate resources and training, and implementing policies and procedures to address issues such as harassment and bullying.
The aim of the study was to explore family medicine residents' and final-year medical students' emotions during their clinical training.
This qualitative study was performed with 15 family medicine residents and 24 final-year medical students using a convenience sample from two medical faculties to explore and analyze their emotions. Data were gathered by means of focus group interviews, including six interviews conducted and recorded through online meetings. Data were analyzed for themes using a thematic analysis approach. Since the interviews reached saturation in terms of content, the interviews were terminated at the end of the sixth focus group meeting. Each interview took an average of 45-60 min.
Three main themes emerged from the data regarding residents' and interns' emotions. These were the “clinical climate's role”, “emotions during patient encounters” and “coping strategies with negative emotions”. The most commonly encountered emotions were tension and anxiety followed by frustration and uncertainty.
Family medicine residents and final-year medical students are challenged with emotions during their clinical training. Therefore, medical educators have to be aware of the need to support them in reflecting on their emotions by prioritizing residents' and interns' well-being 1).