IN-DEPTH: STAFF SUPPORT
PROVIDING
Dr Alex King,
consultant clinical psychologist
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORTFOR STAFF
Hospitals are high pressure working environments where life and death decisions are commonplace. But when the demand is relentless, extraordinary human events can start to feel routine. How can we make sure staff maintain resilience and compassion?
S 8 /Pulse
chwartz rounds are a rare opportunity for staff to come together and openly discuss their reactions and experiences in relation to patient care,” says Dr Alex King, consultant clinical
psychologist. “We believe that a space to connect, share and be open about the highs and lows we all go through, can translate into personal resilience, warmer connections within teams and a culture of compassion for each other and our patients.”
Since June 2015, Alex’s team has been welcoming staff and students of all grades and specialties to attend Schwartz rounds at the Trust. The rounds are open events focussed on allowing staff to share their experiences and emotions in a safe space with other healthcare professionals. Unlike many conventional meetings, the aim of the rounds is not to solve problems, but to acknowledge that caring work provokes strong feelings in all of us. Each round starts with a panel of three to four staff sharing their
personal reactions to a recent clinical case or a common theme. Topics have included: ‘a patient I’ll never forget’, ‘why I do the work I do’, ‘when I made a difference’ and ‘making decisions on the spot’. The Schwartz facilitators engage the audience to reflect on and connect with these stories, and share their response to them – or equally, just listen and reflect quietly.
So far 36 rounds have taken place across all of the Trust’s main sites with over 1,500 participants ranging from lab technicians to chaplains.
www.imperial.nhs.uk
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