Evaluating a Peer Support Program: Impact on Peer Supporters in a Tertiary Care Children’s Hospital

Introduction: Healthcare workers experience emotional distress following poor patient outcomes, which can negatively impact wellbeing and retention. Peer support programs are an evidence-based approach to mitigating distress through provision of confidential counseling by a trained peer. However, data on impact of participation on peer supporters is limited. We aimed to evaluate and describe the peer supporters’ experience at our tertiary children’s hospital. Methods: A web-based survey was developed with input from key partners. Content was reviewed via cognitive interviews. The survey was administered to 167 trained peer supporters during the spring of 2022. Demographic comparison data were gathered from an annual medical staff survey. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze results. Results: Survey response rate was 73.7% (123/167). Respondents were primarily female (70%) physicians (61%) who had been in practice post-training for more than ten years (53%). Some groups, including advanced practice providers, older practitioners, and new medical staff, were underrepresented as peer supporters. Top motivators to become a peer supporter included a desire to get involved with well-being efforts and to help after observing struggling colleagues. The largest barrier to offering peer support was current workload, followed by discomfort reaching out to a more senior colleague. The most highly rated positive program impacts were the beliefs that peer support serves a greater purpose, makes a positive difference for someone else and adds organizational value. Concerns were time constraints and feeling that peer supporter skills were not being utilized enough. Conclusion: The overall experience of peer supporters was positive. Results suggest altruistic tendencies among peer supporters who are focused on a greater purpose over personal gains but are limited by bandwidth. The representativeness of our sample was not fully assessed. To advance peer support programs, we must work to optimize diverse peer supporter representation and provide academic recognition for participation.