Schwartz Rounds for Staff in an Australian Tertiary Hospital: Protocol for a Pilot Uncontrolled Trial

Abstract

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

A hospital-wide group approach to promote open dialogues of workplace issues and staff wellbeing with Schwartz Rounds

“…We await results of an important feasibility and impact study of Rounds delivered in a similar tertiary hospital setting. 13 From our data, staff were almost unanimous in their positive assessment of Rounds which offered a safe opportunity for reflection as well as the sense of being ‘cared for’ by the healthcare organisation. This was echoed by the emergent themes including: (i) Connectedness and shared experience; (ii) Understanding other health professionals; (iii) Normalisation of emotional distress, validation and a safe space for vulnerability; and (iv) Emotions fostering authenticity and humanitarian aspects of healthcare.…”

Importancia de la ética en la influencia de la cultura del trabajo como requisito para procedimientos estadísticos

“…229-230). Indiscutiblemente, lidia contra límites por enfoques individualizados que no impactan en beneficios prácticos (Ewais et al, 2022, p. 2), afectados por falta de recursos, habilidades y conocimientos; por lo que influye en el entendimiento de creencias, conocimientos y competencias (Melnyk et al, 2023, pp. 163-169) y se relaciona con la normalización y la validación de reacciones emocionales y la eliminación de estigmas, con la intención de impactar en el bienestar laboral y el desenvolvimiento colectivo orientados a una intervención interdisciplinaria (Ewais et al, 2022, pp.…”