Patient and staff safety are reliant on individual accountability and effective teamwork which, in turn, depends on multiple factors and includes staff wellbeing. When a person's wellbeing is negatively impacted it can manifest, in its extreme, as burn-out, emotional exhaustion, depression and anxiety.
Contemporary health care places excessive demands on patient care staff, for example through the increase in complex new technology and the need to constantly upskill. Patient acuity is rising and there is constant pressure for beds and patient movement. Humans are fallible and when under excessive stress or fatigue will have an increased potential to make errors of judgement.
The pandemic crisis produced significant stress for health care workers. In response there has been an explosion of guides and material to support staff wellbeing and reduce staff distress and burn out. Previously considered by some as a luxury we didn't have time for, wellbeing, compassion and kindness are now recognised to be essential for perspective and resilience.
The most joyful, productive and engaged staff feel both physically and psychologically safe. They appreciate the meaning and purpose of their work, experience camaraderie with others and perceive their work life to be fair and equitable. Ultimately the ability for staff to provide safe effective person-centred care will be impacted by how well they feel cared for themselves. On this page you will find links to resources which will support the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and teams. The resources are varied to suit a variety of preferences.
