Case Study
NHS Team
BACKGROUND
CHALLENGES
Poor staff retention
High sickness rates
Under resourced
High workload
Low morale
EF training was approached to run 4 in-person training days for a multidisciplinary cancer care team. We had meetings with a senior manager before the training to better understand the specific challenges facing the team. The days were run off-site at a local hotel and the participants were a mix of medical and nursing staff, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, and administration staff.
PRE COURSE
FEEDBACK
”For me, the training was a real thought provoker. It made me rethink the whole concept of taking some 'me' time; that it was a positive rather than a selfish act and it's taken away some of the guilt I usually feel if others' needs are not met before my own."
RESULTS
Cultural shift towards wellbeing
Protected meal breaks
More staff participating in wellbeing inititives
Better communication
The result of the pre-course questionnaire demonstrated that the work was having an emotional and physical impact on staff, both at work and at home. Eighty per cent indicated that work was making them stressed and anxious, leaving them feeling irritable and short tempered when they got home. Almost all the staff (ninety-three per cent) admitted that they feel guilty when they have to take time off sick with many stating that they will go to work when they are ill so they don't let their colleagues and patients down. Unfortunately over seventy percent said that they were considering finding alternative emplyment.
POST COURSE
The results from the 3-month post-course questionnaire validate that although the majority of staff were suffering from symptoms of Compassion Fatigue, they were unaware of the concepts of either Compassion Fatigue or Vicarious Trauma. The majority of staff felt that since training they had not only noticed a difference within the way they felt about work but also within the team itself.
Positive changes within staff had also been noticed at home by friends and family as well as staff confirming that they were fulfilling the promises made to themselves during training. Overall, all the staff found the training a positive experience and felt that ongoing Compassion Fatigue training and reviews would be beneficial for themselves and their teams.