Viet Tran: Getting out of your comfort zone for the greater good
When FACEM Associate Professor Viet Tran takes to the stage at TEDxHobart next week to speak to the public, he aims to “bust some myths about working in EDs” and to share insights about the issues that face emergency departments and staff every day.
Viet believes that most people understand that access block and emergency department are important issues – but that many still lack an understanding of the interconnected pressures and causes, and the severity of the issues. He says that, luckily, a lot of advocacy to address it is going on through ACEM, other health bodies and state and federal governments, but in this talk he hopes to educate the public, too.
Addressing a non-medical audience will present new challenges to the Tasmania-based FACEM, who aims to “cut out the jargon.” He says, “I’ve been a keynote speaker at a medical conference once or twice before. In terms of talking to a non-medical crowd, I’m approaching it very differently this time.”
““It was through various conversations with non-ED clinicians, non-medical friends and family that it became obvious that the cause and effect of ED overcrowding is easily misunderstood and misinterpreted – or the gravity is just not obvious.””
For people who live in a “different world” away from the ED, Viet says that, with the distractions and fake news prevalent on social media, “being able to provide an expert voice” is positive.
“Being creative in TEDx talks or talking to school audiences about health and emergency departments all ties in to enhancing the ‘brand’ of EDs,” he says.
And because “you never know who’s in the audience” you address as a public speaker, the idea that “you really only need one person to be motivated” to help create sustainable change is a force that inspires him. “Live TEDx talks are something very different to the TED talks you see on the socials – almost like an interactive show,” he says about the preparation that has been part of his lead-up to the upcoming event.
Having been inspired by the talks from previous years – including the energy in the theatre and the diversity of ideas and messages – Viet admits “it took a while for me to develop that ‘aha’ moment” that led to his unique take on the Ripple Effect direction. “It was through various conversations with non-ED clinicians, non-medical friends and family that it became obvious that the cause and effect of ED overcrowding is easily misunderstood and misinterpreted – or the gravity is just not obvious.”
“The health system is complex: navigating it as a patient is hard enough, let alone understanding the bottle-necks and pressure points! With the ripple effect, I saw an opportunity to dispel some of the myths of ED overcrowding to a different audience, in a different medium, to continue to get the message out there of what really matters when it comes to ED overcrowding.”
““The more creative we are with communication, the higher the chances are that we are heard, and our concerns are acted on.””
“The more creative we are with communication,” he says, “the higher the chances are that we are heard, and our concerns are acted on.”
Viet describes the list of speakers performing at TEDx Hobart as “a great line-up” that includes “breakfast radio personalities, fashion designers, drone operators and fitness experts speaking on some innovative ideas to bring a piece of each of us so that others have a chance to understand a little better our piece of the world”.
In his own career, Viet says ED is “a huge catalyst for the ripple effect”.
“If you think about it, we see more acute patients than any other specialty and are often one of the biggest departments (staffing-wise) in our hospitals.”
“We don’t have the complete picture of what people are going through, so we should always show kindness in what we do so that it rubs off on those around us. For me, this ripple has had the biggest impact.”
From “quiet one” to public speaker
By those that know him, Viet says he is described as “the quiet one in the room – the introvert.” But, “I also know the value of getting out of your comfort zone in pursuit of the greater good.”
““For me, the challenge and reward has always been to empower clinicians and patients by making information clear, concise, and illuminating.””
“For me, the enjoyment isn’t in the public speaking, but in appreciating how effective communication creates a ripple effect. I like to dabble in non-verbal forms of communication too (a little less exhausting for the introvert in me!) – from graphic design (I designed our ED’s logo!) to website creation (many peri-exam trainees will be familiar with doctorswriting.com), the departmental newsletter, creating platforms for the award-winning learning from excellence and Bosie wellbeing initiatives, and even simple things like pragmatic clinical protocol and pathway design and patient information factsheets”.
It's a pathway that also explains how he got into research after dabbling in medical education and having “an epiphany that what we taught, was based on what the research showed, so if we didn’t do research well or understand it well, we couldn’t teach the right care for the right context”.
“So, I wanted to go back to the source of truth and ensure that we have the foundations to understand what high-quality care looks like and provide aspiring clinician researchers with the tools and ambition to do the same.”
“For me, the challenge and reward has always been to empower clinicians and patients by making information clear, concise, and illuminating.”
By applying that ethos to his TEDx appearance, Viet says he hopes the audience walks away with a new view on working life in the ED.
He acknowledges that “public speaking isn’t for everyone”. But “being able to tell your story, or your project, or business proposal is important to do well if you want to make an impact.”
“Communication coaching, public speaking courses, theatre courses, storytelling workshops are a little non-traditional to what you would normally consider CPD. But they are part of your day-to-day and worth developing. One of the greatest motivators for me to apply to be a speaker for this year’s TEDx was the incredible resources made available to me from one-on-one coaching, online toolkits and AI-informed software. I am certainly learning a lot from the process, the journey.”
““I think TEDx offers these opportunities for further reach, so that everyone can be more informed and perhaps help rally the change needed, like a ripple effect.””
When it comes to reflecting on his career highlights, Viet looks forward to the ones that are yet to come. But doesn’t shy away from discussing the less positive moments he’s had along the way.
The lowest point of his career so far, he says, was in 2012, whilst working in Queensland.
“Life threw a few curve balls – as it tends to do – and I was at a point where, as a provisional trainee, I was seriously considering leaving emergency medicine.”
“I still remember this conversation about leaving with my then DEMT, who managed to convince me to push on a little more. And by 2013 I found my passion for EM again.”
It was a lesson that has stayed with him. “The challenges and obstacles are always there – some big, many small. But this journey isn’t for you to do alone,” Viet says. “One of the greatest things about the EM community is just that: it’s a community, and one big enough that you are likely to find people with similar challenges who are happy to help you learn from their mistakes.”
Just as importantly, he says, we all influence those around us, “both clinicians and patients”.
“So, remember to pay it forward. That’s certainly what I’ve learnt, coming out of my lowest point.”
Providing people-centric care
What excites him most about working in emergency medicine is the patients and the people. “I feel very privileged to be able to care for someone at their most vulnerable and be able to do it well as part of an effective team,” Viet says. “And although ED may not get as many boxes of chocolates or wine that our inpatient colleagues receive, I’m excited that we had the opportunity to make a positive impact, even if it wasn’t obvious to anyone else.”
His ambition is to empower all ED clinicians to incorporate the principles of research and critical thinking to deliver high-quality care and meaningful patient outcomes. His research and advocacy also seeks to empower patients, clinician and leaders to understand “how they can make a positive impact at an individual level, systems level and everywhere in between”.
Living in a world where, he says, information bites are getting smaller and how we communicate in the age of social media and screen time mandates a fast-paced delivery of information, being a speaker at TEDx Hobart is a chance to “put EM on the stage as a specialty” and teach the public about our “our biggest challenge to date, access block”.
“Who knows,” he says. “There might be someone in the audience, or watching it online who can take the message further and continue the ripple.”
Associate Professor Viet Tran is a FACEM based at the Royal Hobart Hospital, and is also founder and director of the TASER Institute (Tasmanian Emergency Medicine Research Institute) and chair of the Tasmanian Emergency Departments Network, the Tasmanian Health Senate and ACEM Research Committee. He will be one of 13 featured speakers at TEDx Hobart on Saturday, 11 May 2024.
