In response to growing evidence that student healthcare professionals find professional practicum stressful and that it negatively affects their mental health, a six-session psychoeducation Resilience and Wellbeing Program was implemented by a professional counselor in Year 3 of the Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics at Griffith University, Australia. The aim of this study was to evaluate student dietitians' perceptions of whether the program improved their ability to cope with practicum stressors. The study used a longitudinal cohort design, with students completing surveys at three time points: before and after the program and after the final practicum.The study was completed with two cohorts of students between 2018 and 2020 (n = 111). Most respondents (95%) found their professional practicum to be stressful or challenging on at least some occasions, mostly due to constantly being assessed (56%), finances (40%), and being away from usual supports (38%). Almost all students rated the program as having some value (99%), with the content about stress and self-care the most highly rated. Qualitative comments revealed the program helped students to manage stress by prioritizing their personal needs. Students used stress management skills during the practicum to achieve balance in their lives, despite pandemic conditions.
Background Schwartz Rounds are a unique, organization-wide interdisciplinary intervention aimed at enhancing staff well-being, compassionate care, teamwork, and organizational culture in health care settings. They provide a safe space wherein both clinical and nonclinical health staff can connect and share their experiences about the social and emotional aspects of health care. Objective Although Schwartz Rounds have been assessed and widely implemented in the United States and United Kingdom, they are yet to be formally evaluated in Australian health care settings. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and impact of Schwartz Rounds on staff well-being, compassionate care, and organizational culture, in a tertiary metropolitan hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Methods This mixed methods repeated measures pilot study will recruit 24 participants in 2 groups from 2 departments, the intensive care unit and the gastroenterology department. Participants from each group will take part in 3 unit-based Schwartz Rounds. Primary outcomes will include the study and intervention feasibility measures, while secondary outcomes will include scores on the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey, the Schwartz Centre Compassionate Care Scale, and the Culture of Care Barometer. Primary and secondary outcomes will be collected at baseline, after the Rounds, and 3-month follow-up. Two focus groups will be held approximately 2 months after completion of the Schwartz Rounds. Descriptive statistics, paired t tests, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance will be used to compare quantitative data across time points and groups. Qualitative data from focus groups and free-text survey questions will be analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Results The study was approved by the Mater Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (reference number: HREC/MML/71868) and recruitment commenced in July 2021; study completion is anticipated by May 2022. Conclusions The study will contribute to the assessment of feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the Schwartz Rounds in a tertiary Australian hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621001473853; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=382769&isReview=true International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/35083
The consequences of burnout for tertiary students across the health professions are well documented. As key stakeholders in university-offered wellbeing services and support, it is desirable for students to hold a central role in development of such resources. Hence, there is a compelling need to develop a student-driven approach to promote wellbeing in the tertiary setting. Based on this need, an online student-focused platform was developed using a bottom-up approach to support participant-driven enhancement of wellbeing and resilience to counteract burnout at a large Australian university. This study reports on the development of the initial online “student bundle”, providing a foundation to inform the design of more locally-based approaches to improve wellness and prevent burnout. Students and staff were invited to participate in a series of focus groups. Sessions sought to collect information on desired structure, resources, and overall content of the student bundle, with a thematic analysis undertaken to identify emerging themes. Focus groups were conducted separately with staff (n=17) and students (n=7). Six main themes in relation to the development of the bundle emerged: Communication/Engagement, Accessibility/Flexibility, Professional practice, Community, Awareness, and Opportunity for personal growth. Stakeholders emphasised a bundle should be engaging and proactive to address wellbeing issues; incorporate aspects linked to professional identity; and foster community, connectedness, and self-awareness, providing an opportunity for growth. Our research has exposed significant needs in relation to how an online student-focused wellbeing bundle could be delivered and what it could provide. Findings from this study will be used to guide further development and implementation of a multimodal, interactive student wellbeing bundle.
BACKGROUND Schwartz Rounds are a unique, organisation-wide interdisciplinary intervention aimed at enhancing staff wellbeing, compassionate care, teamwork, and organisational culture in healthcare settings. They provide a safe space wherein both clinical and non-clinical health staff can connect and share their experiences about the social and emotional aspects of health care. OBJECTIVE Although Schwartz Rounds have been assessed and widely implemented in the United States and United Kingdom, they are yet to be formally evaluated Australian healthcare settings. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and impact of Schwartz Rounds on staff wellbeing, compassionate care and organisational culture, in a tertiary metropolitan hospital in Brisbane, Australia. METHODS This mixed methods repeated measures pilot study will recruit 24 participants in two groups from two departments, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the gastroenterology department. Participants from each group will take part in three unit-based Schwartz Rounds. Primary outcomes will include the study and intervention feasibility measures while secondary outcomes will include Maslach Burnout inventory, the Schwartz Centre Compassionate Care Scale, and Culture of Care Barometer. Primary and secondary outcomes will be collected at baseline, post-round, and three-month follow-up. Two focus-groups will be held approximately two months after completion of the Schwartz Rounds. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be used to compare quantitative data across time points and groups. Qualitative data from focus groups and free-text survey questions will be analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. RESULTS The study was approved by the Mater Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (reference number: HREC/MML/71868) and recruitment commenced in July 2021; study completion is anticipated by May 2022. CONCLUSIONS The study will contribute to the assessment of feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the Schwartz Rounds in a tertiary Australian hospital, during the COVID-19 pandemic. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Id is ACTRN12621001473853.
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