Building a Culture of Growth and Safety: A Workshop on Positive Reinforcement, Mistreatment, and Psychological Safety

Abstract

Introduction/Background. Medical training environments play a critical role in shaping the professional development and well-being of trainees. However, challenges such as ineffective feedback, mistreatment, and the absence of psychological safety can hinder learning and contribute to burnout and disengagement. This workshop integrates evidence-based strategies to foster positive reinforcement, address mistreatment, and promote psychological safety within educational and clinical settings. Study Objective/Hypothesis. We hypothesize that participants will report improved knowledge, skills, and confidence in: Recognizing, addressing, and reporting mistreatment effectively; providing feedback that promotes growth and motivation; creating environments that foster psychological safety. Objective: We aim to improve participants’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in: 1. Recognizing, addressing, and reporting mistreatment effectively. 2. Learn motivation techniques such as Self-Determination Theory, Growth-mindset and how to praise trainees, Effective Feedback, that fosters growth and motivation. 3. Creating psychologically safe environments conducive to learning and collaboration. Methods. This workshop was first delivered in March 2025 and will be repeated for a new group of participants. It consists of two parts: • Part I: Motivation Science and Learning Culture – This segment covers growth mindset, self-determination theory, psychological safety, and feedback strategies such as the Feedback Sandwich and Pendleton Model. It is followed by an interactive small-group scenario in which participants apply these concepts in a practical discussion. • Part II: Mistreatment Awareness and Response – This portion uses storytelling, video reflection, and case-based dialogue to explore mistreatment in clinical training. Participants are then introduced to the STAND-UP mnemonic, a novel tool created for this workshop, which consists of: Spot the situation. Think about intent. Acknowledge emotions. Name the situation. Document: Report events. Uplift yourself/others. Prevent future events). Results. Survey data will be collected for this workshop. Conclusions. This workshop aims to enhance learners’ ability to foster motivation, deliver effective feedback, and respond constructively to mistreatment. It offers a replicable model for improving educational climates and aligns with institutional goals of promoting inclusion and well-being in residency training.