Psychological Staff Support in Healthcare: Thinking and Practice

This book provides an overview of psychological approaches to staff support and wellbeing in healthcare settings,with a focus on collaboration with other professionals. It discusses key principles and ideas related to equality, diversity, and inclusion, relational and systemic models, moral injury, and evaluation. The second part focuses on practice, including reflective practice models, EMDR, debriefs, strategic working, and support for senior staff. The book emphasizes that broader issues such as discrimination, bullying, healthcare funding, and staff shortage affect the wellbeing of staff, and suggests ways for wellbeing practitioners to use their influence strategically to improve working conditions and develop cultures of compassion and inclusivity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 345 pages
Publication date: 30 September 2022
Publisher: Sequoia Books

This book is a valuable resource for psychologists, psychosocial practitioners, healthcare leaders, and anyone interested in supporting and promoting the well-being of healthcare staff. It showcases a diverse range of work employing various psychological approaches, including systemic, psychodynamic, narrative, trauma-focused, and compassion practices. Psychologists play a significant role in providing staff support, but it is important to note that this field encompasses collaboration with a wide range of professionals, including chaplains, organizational development colleagues, human resources specialists, and occupational health experts. The book emphasizes the application of psychological thinking to staff well-being on a broader scale, beyond the realm of psychology alone.

The first part of the book provides an introduction to key psychological principles and ideas relevant to psychological staff support. It explores how to make equality, diversity, and inclusion central to healthcare practices, introduces relational and systemic models applicable to the healthcare workforce, discusses concepts such as moral injury, and provides guidance on evaluating the work.

The second part of the book focuses on practical approaches and strategies for working with healthcare staff at individual, team, and organizational levels. It includes reflective practice models, the use of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) in supporting healthcare staff, debriefing techniques, strategic working, and support for senior staff. Throughout the book, a recurring theme emerges: that no amount of staff support resources and professionals can address broader issues such as workplace discrimination, funding challenges, and staff shortages alone. These factors profoundly impact the well-being of healthcare staff. The book offers ideas for wellbeing practitioners to strategically leverage their influence to work alongside leadership and advocate for positive change.

In conclusion, this book offers a comprehensive and insightful exploration of psychological staff support in healthcare settings. It provides valuable insights and practical strategies for psychologists, psychosocial practitioners, healthcare leaders, and anyone committed to promoting the well-being and resilience of healthcare staff. By fostering collaboration and leveraging psychological thinking, we can create healthier and more supportive work environments that enhance the overall quality of care and patient outcomes.

Weight: 596g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781914110184