Introduction: In high acuity settings like the pediatric ICU, clinical and emotional debriefing has been linked to improved team dynamics, communication, and reduced compassion fatigue. Due to these benefits, a semi-structured peer support and team reflective session was implemented for residents during their required PICU rotation. This study explores whether participants continue to perceive those sessions as valuable and applicable in their ongoing professional lives. Methods: From 2017 to 2025, monthly one-hour PICU support sessions were led by Pediatric Critical Care, Palliative, and Ethics faculty. These sessions focused on emotional support, shared experiences, reflection, and coping strategies after challenging clinical events. A retrospective survey was distributed to all prior participants. Responses were measured on a 0 to 3 likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction. Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze data. Results: 52 of 180 respondents completed the survey. 71.2% found the sessions extremely or somewhat helpful, with 40.4% selecting extremely helpful. 73.1% were very or extremely likely to recommend the sessions to a colleague. Participants reported that skills learned in the sessions continue to shape their current practice, particularly in fostering team reflection and creating supportive spaces for emotional processing. Many emphasized the impact of hearing senior team members openly reflect on difficult situations. Sessions were credited with creating a sense of community, providing a framework for continuous self-improvement, and strengthening team well-being. As one clinician reflected, the sessions remain the “reason I suggest getting help processing work stress.” Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that ICU support sessions have lasting professional impact, providing physicians with durable coping strategies and shaping their approach to well-being throughout their careers. By promoting reflective practice, emotional normalization, and supportive leadership, these sessions have hardwired culture change within the ICU environment. We recommend integrating scheduled reflection sessions in critical care education as an immediate strategy to enhance team performance and cultivate longitudinal investment in provider well-being.
Hayden et al. (Sun,) studied this question.