scholarly journals COVID-Well Study: Qualitative Evaluation of Supported Wellbeing Centres and Psychological First Aid for Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Blake ◽  
Alisha Gupta ◽  
Mahnoor Javed ◽  
Ben Wood ◽  
Steph Knowles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Psychological First Aid ◽  
The Uk

Supported wellbeing centres were set up in UK hospital trusts as an early intervention aimed at mitigating the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers. These provided high quality rest spaces with peer-to-peer psychological support provided by National Health Service (NHS) staff volunteers called ‘wellbeing buddies’, trained in psychological first aid. The aim of the study was to explore the views of centre visitors and operational staff towards this COVID-19 workforce wellbeing provision. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were undertaken with twenty-four (20F, 4M) employees from an acute hospital trust in the UK. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed, data were handled and analysed using thematic analysis. Interviews generated 3 over-arching themes, and 13 sub-themes covering ‘exposure and job roles’, ‘emotional impacts of COVID-19 and ‘the wellbeing centres’. Supported wellbeing centres were viewed as critical for the wellbeing of hospital employees during the first surge of COVID-19 in the UK. Wellbeing initiatives require managerial advocacy and must be inclusive. Job-related barriers to work breaks and accessing staff wellbeing provisions should be addressed. High quality rest spaces and access to peer-to-peer support are seen to benefit individuals, teams, organisations and care quality. Training NHS staff in psychological first aid is a useful approach to supporting the wellbeing of the NHS workforce during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals COVID-Well Study: Qualitative Evaluation of Supported Wellbeing Centres and Psychological First Aid for Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3626
Author(s):  
Holly Blake ◽  
Alisha Gupta ◽  
Mahnoor Javed ◽  
Ben Wood ◽  
Steph Knowles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Psychological First Aid ◽  
The Uk

Supported wellbeing centres were set up in UK hospital trusts as an early intervention aimed at mitigating the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers. These provided high quality rest spaces with peer-to-peer psychological support provided by National Health Service (NHS) staff volunteers called ‘wellbeing buddies’, trained in psychological first aid. The aim of the study was to explore the views of centre visitors and operational staff towards this COVID-19 workforce wellbeing provision. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were undertaken with twenty-four (20F, 4M) employees from an acute hospital trust in the UK. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed, data were handled and analysed using thematic analysis. Interviews generated 3 over-arching themes, and 13 sub-themes covering ‘exposure and job roles’, ‘emotional impacts of COVID-19 and ‘the wellbeing centres’. Supported wellbeing centres were viewed as critical for the wellbeing of hospital employees during the first surge of COVID-19 in the UK. Wellbeing initiatives require managerial advocacy and must be inclusive. Job-related barriers to work breaks and accessing staff wellbeing provisions should be addressed. High quality rest spaces and access to peer-to-peer support are seen to benefit individuals, teams, organisations and care quality. Training NHS staff in psychological first aid is a useful approach to supporting the wellbeing of the NHS workforce during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Development of a Remote Psychological First Aid Protocol for Healthcare Workers Following the COVID-19 Pandemic in a University Teaching Hospital, Malaysia

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Hatim Sulaiman ◽  
Zuraida Ahmad Sabki ◽  
Mohd Johari Jaafa ◽  
Benedict Francis ◽  
Khairul Arif Razali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
First Aid ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Psychological First Aid ◽  
Suspected Infection ◽  
Phone Calls

The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of addressing the psychological impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on healthcare workers (HCWs) who are frontliners directly involved in mitigating the spread of the disease. This paper focuses on the utilization of a clinical practice protocol for identifying HCWs who are COVID-19-positive or under investigation and surveillance for suspected infection, in a tertiary, university teaching hospital of Malaysia. The protocol for Psychological First Aid (PFA), which is applied remotely via a mobile application and phone calls, outlines the work process in stages, with expected immediate, intermediate, and long-term goals within a “Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Realistic Timeframe” (SMART). This protocol is developed to provide a guideline for psychological crisis interventions that promote safety, calm, and hope in HCWs, allowing them to return to psychological functioning without being stigmatized. The unprecedented remote PFA protocol may serve as a platform for further research on the application of a goal-directed approach in a healthcare organization.

scholarly journals Loss and assimilation: Lived experiences of Brexit for British nationals living in Luxembourg

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Maria Knight ◽  
Dean Fido ◽  
Henry William Lennon ◽  
Craig A. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Political Upheaval ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Political Realities

Inconsistent political realities are associated with mental health issues such as hopelessness, anxiety, and depression. The psychological impact of Brexit is clearly an important and timely issue, but hitherto has been understudied. This study uses a critical realist approach to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of British Citizens living in Luxembourg during the Brexit era. The study carried out semi-structured interviews with 8 British nationals aged 18-65. An experientially-focused Thematic Analysis was conducted, exploring two main themes: Loss (with psychological and broader social implications) and Integration (contrasting the mover's community with the receiving community). This study demonstrates the psychological impact of Brexit and highlights the urgency for future researchers and mental health practitioners alike – both in the UK and overseas – to consider the human consequences associated with political upheaval. Open access materials for this project can be viewed here: https://osf.io/38rg7/?view_only=b8c04dfc3fe5474f9aff4897e370b3e6.

scholarly journals “Data makes the story come to life.” Understanding the ethical and legal implications of Big Data research involving ethnic minority healthcare workers: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward S. Dove ◽  
Ruby Reed-Berendt ◽  
Manish Pareek
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Significant Implication ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk

The aim of UK-REACH (“The United Kingdom Research study into Ethnicity And COVID-19 outcomes in Healthcare workers”) is to understand if, how, and why healthcare workers (HCWs) in the UK from ethnic minority groups are at increased risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19. In this article, we present findings from Work Package 3, the ethico-legal stream, which undertook qualitative research seeking to understand and address legal, ethical, and social acceptability issues around data protection, privacy, and information governance associated with the linkage of HCWs’ registration data and healthcare data. We interviewed 22 key opinion leaders in healthcare and health research from across the UK in two-to-one semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were manually coded using qualitative thematic analysis. Participants told us that a significant implication across all stages of Big Data research in public health are drivers of mistrust – of the research itself, research staff and funders, and broader concerns of mistrust within participant communities, particularly in the context of COVID-19 and those situated in more marginalised community settings. However, despite the challenges, participants also identified ways in which legally compliant and ethically informed approaches to research can be crafted to mitigate or overcome mistrust and establish confidence in Big Data public health research. Overall, our research indicates that a “Big Data Ethics by Design” approach can help assure 1) that meaningful engagement is taking place and that extant challenges are addressed, and 2) that any new challenges or hitherto unknown unknowns can be rapidly and properly considered to ensure potential (but material) harms are identified and minimised where necessary. Our findings indicate such an approach, in turn, will help drive better scientific breakthroughs that translate into medical innovations and effective public health interventions, which benefit the publics studied.

scholarly journals Quality of care is what we make of it: a qualitative study of managers’ perspectives on quality of care in high-performing nursing homes

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte Lalude Asante ◽  
Franziska Zúñiga ◽  
Lauriane Favez
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Quality Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
High Quality ◽  
High Performing

Abstract Background Leadership has a vital role regarding quality of care in nursing homes. However, few studies have explored upper-level managers’ views on how to assure that residents receive high quality of care. Therefore, this study’s aim was to examine how managers of top-quality nursing homes define, develop and maintain high-quality of care. Method We used interpretive description, an inductive, qualitative approach. Our research included 13 semi-structured interviews with 19 managers. We analyzed their input using reflexive thematic analysis, which is an iterative approach. Results Quality development and maintenance are cyclic processes. Managers in high-performing nursing homes lead with high commitment towards a person-centred quality of care, creating appropriate working conditions and continuously co-creating a vision and the realization of quality of care together with employees. Conclusions This study confirms that, in high-performing nursing homes, a person-centered approach—one where both residents and employees are at the center—is essential for quality development and maintenance. The most effective managers exemplify “person centeredness”: they lead by example and promote quality-focused working conditions. Such strategies motivate employees to provide person-centered care. As this means focusing on residents’ needs, it results in high care quality.

scholarly journals Living life in limbo: experiences of healthcare professionals during the HCPC fitness to practice investigation process in the UK

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Maben ◽  
Linda Hoinville ◽  
Dawn Querstret ◽  
Cath Taylor ◽  
Magdalena Zasada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Investigation Process

Abstract Background It is the responsibility of healthcare regulators to ensure healthcare professionals remain fit for practice in healthcare settings. If there are concerns about an individual healthcare professional they may undergo a fitness to practice investigation. This process is known to be hugely stressful for doctors and social workers, but little is known about the impact of this experience on other professions. This study explores the experiences of registrants going through the process of being reported to the UK’s Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and attending fitness to practice (FTP) hearings. We discuss the implications of this process on registrants’ wellbeing and, from our findings, present recommendations based on registrants experiences. In doing so we articulate the structural processes of the HCPC FTP process and the impact this has on individuals. Methods This study uses semi-structured interviews and framework analysis to explore the experiences of 15 registrants who had completed the FTP process. Participants were sampled for maximum variation and were selected to reflect the range of possible processes and outcomes through the FTP process. Results The psychological impact of undergoing a FTP process was significant for the majority of participants. Their stories described influences on their wellbeing at both a macro (institutional/organisational) and micro (individual) level. A lack of information, long length of time for the process and poor support avenues were macro factors impacting on the ability of registrants to cope with their experiences (theme 1). These macro factors led to feelings of powerlessness, vulnerability and threat of ruin for many registrants (theme 2). Suggested improvements (theme 3) included better psychological support (e.g. signposting or provision); proportional processes to the incident (e.g. mediation instead of hearings); and taking context into account. Conclusions Findings suggest that improvements to both the structure and conduct of the FTP process are warranted. Implementation of better signposting for support both during and after a FTP process may improve psychological wellbeing. There may also be value in considering alternative ways of organising the FTP process to enable greater consideration of and flexibility for registrants’ context and how they are investigated.

scholarly journals "Peer to Peer Employability Coaching and Mentoring; a case study of Bournemouth University in the UK,

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (Winter) ◽  
pp. 176-179
Author(s):  
Vianna Renaud
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Student Experience ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
Proximal Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Student Role ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of a peer to peer employability coaching and mentoring initiative within the higher educational context. Whilst peer to peer assisted learning initiatives have been proven to positively impact student learning and the overall Student Experience, such a program with a focus on employability in relation to the mandatory ‘sandwich placement’ component of many UK undergraduate academic programs has not been looked at.   Using a post 92 public institution located in the South West of the UK, a constructivist lens was applied upon a theoretical framework of the works of Kolb and Experiential Learning, Vygotsky and the Zones of Proximal Development, and Whitmore with the GROW Model of Coaching. Volunteer first and final year participants were randomly paired up. Following semi structured interviews with all participants, their feedback was directly used in the session development and guideline notes.   Consisting of four intervention sessions throughout a six month period, the student pairs discussed and explored their ideas and experience with the concept of ‘employability’, particularly linked to the compulsory sandwich placement. Termed as the M-Coach, the final year student role, and the M-Coachee, the first year student role, the engagement was both of a mentoring and coaching perspective. Implementing the GROW Model of Coaching into the sessions   Whilst this project is still in progress, there has been a significant impact observed from both participant groups. The M-Coachees have been the first ones amongst their peers to have a developed social media presence with LinkedIn account, secured summer work experience, and feel more confident about the placement search process. The M-Coaches unanimously felt pride in their ability to coach and mentor their younger peers and gained more perspective from reflecting upon their own personal placement journey which supported their graduate role search.     In conclusion, this project has shown to create a positive impact on the student experience with all completing participants confirming that they would have felt this initiative would have greatly added to their university experience.    

scholarly journals Diverting young men from gangs: a qualitative evaluation

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 887-900
Author(s):  
Laura Jane Boulton ◽  
Rebecca Phythian ◽  
Stuart Kirby
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Young People ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Preventive Intervention ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Serious organised crime (SOC) costs the UK billions of pounds every year and is associated with significant negative health, social and well-being outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether young people can be diverted from involvement in SOC using preventive intervention approaches. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on data collected from semi-structured interviews with practitioners involved in a six-month intervention which specifically aimed to divert “at risk” young people away from SOC involvement. Findings Themes arising from the analysis are: risk and vulnerability factors associated with young people involved in organised crime; what worked well during this intervention; what outcomes, both hard and soft, were generated; as well as, the specific challenges to the success of preventive programmes’ success. Practical implications Overall, the study highlights the problematic nature of diverting “at risk” youths from SOC and provides recommendations for future preventive intervention work in the field of SOC. Specifically, it suggests that longer-term interventions, targeted at younger children, may generate better behavioural outcomes if they focus on building trusting relationships with credible support workers (i.e. have lived experience of SOC). Originality/value With a growing body of evidence suggesting that young people are being increasingly exploited for organised criminal purposes, an approach which prevents involvement in SOC makes theoretical and economic sense. However, little research has empirically tested its utility in practice. This study seeks to address this gap.

scholarly journals Psychological First Aid Well-Being Support Rounds for Frontline Healthcare Workers During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mansoor Malik ◽  
Jessica Peirce ◽  
Michael Van Wert ◽  
Cynthia Wood ◽  
Haroon Burhanullah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Well Being ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Support Programs ◽  
Active Listening ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Psychological First Aid ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers

Background and Objective: Frontline healthcare workers face unprecedented stress from the current SARS COV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Hospital systems need to develop support programs to help frontline staff deal with this stress. The purpose of this article is to describe a support program for front line healthcare workers.Methods: In this community case report, we describe a well-being support rounding program that was developed to deliver Psychological First Aid (PFA) to frontline healthcare workers in a large urban medical center to maintain their sense of psychological well-being and self-efficacy. A team of clinicians from the department of psychiatry, who were trained on the Johns Hopkins RAPID model (Reflective Listening, Assessment, Prioritization, Intervention, and Disposition) to provide PFA, were deployed throughout the hospital. These clinicians carried out daily well-being rounds from April to June during the peak of the pandemic.Results: Approximately 20% of the frontline staff members were going through an acute crisis and benefited from PFA. Anxiety, anger, exhaustion, economic worry, job insecurity, dehumanized interactions with patients due to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and stress of taking care of sick and dying patients without their families present, were the main themes identified by the staff. The deployed team used active listening, mindfulness, validation, reframing and other cognitive interventions to support staff.Conclusions: Our experience suggests that frontline staff are willing to engage with in-person, on-site support programs. Fostering resilience and self-efficacy through PFA is a useful model to provide emotional support to frontline healthcare workers during health crises.

scholarly journals Adherence to Psychological First Aid after Exposure to a Traumatic Event at Work among EMS Workers: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11026
Author(s):  
Marine Tessier ◽  
Josianne Lamothe ◽  
Steve Geoffrion
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Support ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
First Responders ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
First Responder ◽  
Psychological First Aid ◽  
Peer Helpers

Managing post-traumatic stress reactions in the first few days after exposure to a potentially traumatic event in the course of one’s work remains a challenge for first responder organizations such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed approach to reducing initial distress and promoting short- and long-term coping strategies among staff in the aftermath of exposure. PFA provided by peer helpers is considered a promising solution for first responder organizations. Unfortunately, first responders may encounter stigma and barriers to mental health care. Therefore, a deeper investigation is needed regarding adherence over time to implemented PFA intervention. The purpose of this study is to qualitatively explore factors that influence adherence to PFA intervention of recipients and peer helpers. EMS workers (n = 11), working as PFA peer helpers for one year, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis; intercoder reliability (κ = 0.91) was also used. Researchers identified four themes and 11 subthemes influencing adherence to PFA intervention: (1) individual perceptions and attitudes of peer helpers and recipients about pfa intervention; (2) perceived impacts on peer helpers and recipients; (3) organizational support to pfa intervention; and (4) congruence with the occupational culture. Study findings herein suggest that it is conceivable to act on various factors to improve adherence to PFA intervention among peer helpers and recipients within EMS organization. This could lead to enhanced understanding of the challenges involved in sustaining a peer led PFA program for first responders.

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