Available online 8 June 2022

Orthopaedic surgeons suffer from low resilience in comparison to the general public.

No significant difference was found in resilience levels between gender or grade.

Extracurricular activities offer a method of increasing resilience.

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted resilience levels of many orthopaedic surgeons.

Healthcare professionals require resilience in the workplace to cope with the high demands of the job. Resilience reduces anxiety and distress following an adverse event, which orthopaedic surgeons must be prepared for. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the resilience levels of orthopaedic surgeons in one region to determine whether there are any factors which enhance it.

Data from one hundred orthopaedic surgeons of varying levels was collected and compared using a validated scoring questionnaire (Connor–Davidson resilience scale 25). Scores were assessed and compared to experience level and participant demographics such as age, sex and subspeciality. Data on extracurricular activities i.e. sport, meditation/prayer and crafts were also collected.

There was no significant difference between the scores between genders (p = 0.74). The highest scores were found in trust grade doctors, SHOs and senior consultants. Higher resilience trends were noted for those who performed regular meditation and participated in regular arts and crafts. Those who participated in daily sports had lower resilience levels than those who participated less frequently. A concerning 13% reported that they felt pandemic had negatively impacted their resilience.

Resilience

Orthopaedics

Covid-19

Burnout

Surgery

© 2022 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.