Junior Doctor on Call:A Pre-Shift Learning and Assessment Tool in Psychiatry

Introduction:<br/>A key aspect of on-call work in psychiatry involves managing acute psychiatric situations. The unpredictable nature of these situations makes them difficult to integrate into introductory training for new doctors. Consequently, new junior doctors may find themselves responsible for acute psychiatric cases without prior exposure to similar scenarios. With The On-Call Conversation, a video-based discussion between a junior doctor and a supervisor, we aim to support learning before and during on-call work and provide supervisors with a tool for assessing on-call readiness.<br/><br/>Materials &amp; Methods:<br/>The On-Call Conversation is a semi-structured dialogue between a junior doctor and their supervisor conducted before the doctor’s first evening or night shift. The doctor first articulates their learning objectives for the shift. Subsequently, both parties watch a video of a simulated patient scenario, progressing from involuntary admission to an escalated situation requiring consideration of acute sedative medication. The video is paused at specific points by the supervisor to prompt a structured discussion of the junior doctor’s clinical decision-making and reasoning. Finally, the learning objectives are reviewed, and a tailored learning plan is developed for any remaining areas of focus. The supervisor also assesses whether the junior doctor is ready to undertake independent on-call work.<br/><br/>Results:<br/>Approximately 25 qualitative interviews will be conducted with junior doctors, focusing on their experiences with The On-Call Conversation, their first on-call shift, and their reflective practice. Data analysis will include a deductive thematic analysis based on Schön’s reflection model and an inductive thematic analysis to identify emerging themes outside the model.<br/>