Salem E. Hernández, MD

My research examines how clinicians learn, adapt, and sustain performance in high-acuity environments, with a particular focus on fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Using qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, I study how supervisory relationships, procedural learning, and ICU team culture shape trainee development, psychological safety, and reflective practice.

Exploring Psychological Grit in PCCM Fellowship Training (Principal Investigator)

This qualitative study examines how pulmonary and critical care fellows understand and operationalize “grit” during fellowship and how sustained effort develops across prolonged exposure to uncertainty, procedural learning, and high-stakes clinical decision making. The goal is to refine existing models of resilience in graduate medical education and inform program-level interventions that support trainee development.

Structured Debriefing After ICU Intubation: National Survey and Implementation Framework (Co-Investigator)

This national mixed-methods project examines current debriefing practices after ICU intubation, barriers to implementation, and opportunities to integrate structured procedural reflection into routine clinical workflow. The work aims to support development of scalable frameworks for post-procedural learning in critical care environments.

Family Presence on Rounds in Adult Medical ICUs: National Point-Prevalence Study (Site Collaborator)

This nationwide collaborative study evaluates rates and characteristics of family presence during rounds in adult medical ICUs across the United States and supports efforts to inform future family-engagement practices in critical care settings.