Health and social care professionals' experience of psychological safety within their occupational setting: a systematic thematic synthesis protocol

Abstract

Background: Psychological safety (PS) is commonly referred to within the organisational context. However, PS is also essential to mental health, wellbeing, and post-traumatic growth. Health and social care workers often work in stressful, challenging environments, and as a result, they may experience compounding stress, jeopardising their sense of safety. Consequently, individuals may experience burnout, which further impacts the care individuals receive, emphasising the importance of PS within the health and social care environments. This review will identify and outline health and social care professional’s experiences of psychological safety within the workplace. Consequently, emphasising the importance of PS for organisational and individual development to health and social care organisations.Method and analysis: The inclusion criteria include studies where health- or social care professionals discuss their experience of individual or group psychological safety in their occupational setting. Related concepts, such as social engagement, will also be included. English-written studies of qualitative designs will be included. The exclusion criteria are studies not including primary, qualitative data, and posters. Studies which have not been published in English; and studies published before the year 1995—participants who are not professionals within the health and social care occupation. The following databases will be searched for qualitative studies from 1995 to 2023: CINAHL, PsychInfo and Web of Science. A thematic synthesis of findings will be presented. Line-by-line coding of the primary research will occur; the organisation of the coding will be given descriptive themes, and analytical themes will be developed.