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A Narrative Inquiry into the Practices of Healthcare Workers’ Wellness Program: The SEED Experience in New South Wales, Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Katarzyna Olcoń

    (School of Health and Society, The University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

  • Julaine Allan

    (Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Leeds Pd, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia)

  • Mim Fox

    (School of Health and Society, The University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

  • Ruth Everingham

    (School of Health and Society, The University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
    Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, 67-71 King Street, Warrawong, NSW 2502, Australia)

  • Padmini Pai

    (Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, 67-71 King Street, Warrawong, NSW 2502, Australia)

  • Lynne Keevers

    (School of Health and Society, The University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

  • Maria Mackay

    (School of Nursing, The University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

  • Chris Degeling

    (School of Health and Society, The University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

  • Sue-Anne Cutmore

    (School of Health and Society, The University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
    Waminda South Coast Women’s Health and Welfare Aboriginal Corporation, 122 Kinghorne St, Nowra, NSW 2541, Australia)

  • Summer Finlay

    (School of Health and Society, The University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

  • Kristine Falzon

    (Waminda South Coast Women’s Health and Welfare Aboriginal Corporation, 122 Kinghorne St, Nowra, NSW 2541, Australia)

Abstract

The 2019–2020 Australian bushfires followed by the COVID-19 pandemic brought the significant mental health implications of working in healthcare to the fore. The importance of appropriate support services to ensure the resilience and recovery of healthcare workers has been highlighted. In response to healthcare staff experiences during the bushfires, the SEED Wellness Program was created in 2020 in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District in New South Wales, Australia. SEED used a participant-led design to engage healthcare staff in workplace-based restorative activities. Guided by practice theory, this study aimed to identify and describe SEED wellness practices that supported healthcare staff. Thirty-three healthcare workers participated in focus groups or individual interviews between June 2021 and March 2022. The analysis involved inductive thematic individual and collective exploration of SEED practices, including co-analysis with participants. Eight core practices that supported participants’ wellbeing were identified, including responsive and compassionate leading, engaging staff at every stage of the recovery process, creating a sense of connection with others, and collective caring. The study found that workplace wellness initiatives are optimised when they are place-based and grounded in local knowledge, needs, and resources incorporating a collective and supportive team approach. Moreover, to ensure engagement in, and sustainability of these initiatives, both bottom-up and top-down commitment is required.

Suggested Citation

  • Katarzyna Olcoń & Julaine Allan & Mim Fox & Ruth Everingham & Padmini Pai & Lynne Keevers & Maria Mackay & Chris Degeling & Sue-Anne Cutmore & Summer Finlay & Kristine Falzon, 2022. "A Narrative Inquiry into the Practices of Healthcare Workers’ Wellness Program: The SEED Experience in New South Wales, Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:20:p:13204-:d:941660
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Holly Blake & Mehmet Yildirim & Ben Wood & Steph Knowles & Helen Mancini & Emma Coyne & Joanne Cooper, 2020. "COVID-Well: Evaluation of the Implementation of Supported Wellbeing Centres for Hospital Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-22, December.
    2. Gallagher, H. Colin & Block, Karen & Gibbs, Lisa & Forbes, David & Lusher, Dean & Molyneaux, Robyn & Richardson, John & Pattison, Philippa & MacDougall, Colin & Bryant, Richard A., 2019. "The effect of group involvement on post-disaster mental health: A longitudinal multilevel analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 167-175.
    3. Holly Blake & Alisha Gupta & Mahnoor Javed & Ben Wood & Steph Knowles & Emma Coyne & Joanne Cooper, 2021. "COVID-Well Study: Qualitative Evaluation of Supported Wellbeing Centres and Psychological First Aid for Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-27, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Siyao Liu & Bin Yu & Chan Xu & Min Zhao & Jing Guo, 2022. "Characteristics of Collective Resilience and Its Influencing Factors from the Perspective of Psychological Emotion: A Case Study of COVID-19 in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-19, November.

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