#160 - Dr. Chris Luke
Dr. Chris Luke - Emergency Physician and Author of 'A Life in Trauma: Memoirs of an Emergency Physician'
This episode was brought to you by Hauora - a performance wellbeing growth partner. Hauora aims to educate and impact individual and organisational culture to ignite health, wellbeing, and performance. Find out more at www.HauoraLife.com
Description
Dr. Chris Luke qualified in 1982 at University College Dublin and has been an emergency physician for over 35 years, serving others. He has worked in frontline medicine in Ireland, the UK, and Australia, and has been a consultant in emergency medicine in Cork for over 20 years.
Today we speak about why Chris studied medicine, his mother as a role model, and his legacy in Ireland. Chris talks about the perils and potential of a well-functioning A&E, current pressures in healthcare systems, and the compassion equation - empathy plus action. We unpack the meaning behind him describing himself as a slightly militant altruist, burnout - and performing under pressure in primary care and hospital settings.
It was fascinating to hear from a doctor who has displayed resilience at the frontline, witnessed so much trauma and distress...and is now sharing his story with us, and you.
In this episode we discuss 🗣
🏥 Lessons from 35 + years on the frontline
🥼 Why Chris pursued medicine
🤶 The influence of his mother and Dublin city on his values
👐 Being a ‘slightly militant altruist
😡 How sometimes in life you’ve got to get angry
😷 Burnout as an endemic in healthcare
🧘♂️ The value and need for more self-care in modern life
➕ The compassion equation = Empathy + Action
😓 Performing under pressure
🤵 How politics and government need to address the insurmountable pressure on the healthcare system
🚑 The perils and potential of a well functioning A&E
Key Timestamps
01. 24 - Lecturing + teaching as an energise for Chris
02-55 - Drop off of patients from A&E / ED
03. 36 - Hearty welcome back to emergency medicine
4. 52 - Record-breaking numbers in ATE post-pandemic
7. 30 - A&E the portal for all to healthcare
9. 30 - Overcrowding, healthcare, and politics
11. 00 - The cyclical nature of a hospital pathway
13. 06 - An adverse childhood experience for
14. 10 - Being rescued from an orphanage + having a network of families
17-00 - Dr. Luke's daughter working on the frontline
18. 40 - Relationships and the compassion equation
20. 22 - Experiencing regret, from dedicating so much to healthcare
22. 00 - Corroding friendships due to burnout
23. 00 - Having a tour of duty for the army, police on healthcare
27. 10 - Doctor at the heart of healthcare management
32. 32 - Remaining vulnerable to truly show care
34. 00 - Sometimes in life, you've got to get angry
35. 12 - If you can't care for the carers we're in trouble
38. 40 - The need for more self-care
41. 55 - What does high performance mean to Dr. Chris Luke