STUDY 9 - Building resilience in the caring professions
- Nasreen Ali(PI),
- Yannis Pappas(CoI),
- Joana Almeida(Research Fellow/PDRA),
- Dr Susannah Bowyer(CoI),
- Mrs Claire Williams(CoI)
- ,
- ,
- Research in Practice
Project: Research
Project status
Not started
Description
The goal of the study is to help students and trained professionals "stay and stay well" in their chosen fields of work while navigating the reality of integrated care. To help students start and feel like they belong, and staff members at all levels thrive and succeed in providing inclusive, compassionate, integrated care, the "stay and stay well framework" takes a "life cycle" approach that strives to promote emotional resilience, inter-professional reflexivity, and self-care strategies.
Layman's description
The Building Resilience in the Caring Professions project aims to support students and staff working in health and social care to remain in their professions and stay well while doing so. Caring roles can be rewarding, but they can also be emotionally demanding, especially as services become more integrated and professionals are expected to work across different teams, organisations and systems.
This project focuses on helping people develop the confidence, emotional resilience and self-care strategies needed to manage the pressures of caring work. It uses a “stay and stay well” approach, which means supporting people throughout their whole career journey: from students starting out and developing a sense of belonging, through to experienced staff continuing to thrive and provide inclusive, compassionate and joined-up care.
The project includes work such as Schwartz Rounds, which give staff a safe space to reflect on the emotional impact of their work, and the development of the iSORT application/webpage, which is being piloted and evaluated with national partners. The overall aim is to improve wellbeing, support workforce retention, and help build a stronger, more resilient health and social care workforce.
This project focuses on helping people develop the confidence, emotional resilience and self-care strategies needed to manage the pressures of caring work. It uses a “stay and stay well” approach, which means supporting people throughout their whole career journey: from students starting out and developing a sense of belonging, through to experienced staff continuing to thrive and provide inclusive, compassionate and joined-up care.
The project includes work such as Schwartz Rounds, which give staff a safe space to reflect on the emotional impact of their work, and the development of the iSORT application/webpage, which is being piloted and evaluated with national partners. The overall aim is to improve wellbeing, support workforce retention, and help build a stronger, more resilient health and social care workforce.
Project Information
Project Type
ResearchProject Managed By
Project Collaborators
Status
Not startedKey Findings
A total of 225 users from seven selected HSC organisations completed the iSort resilience questionnaire; among them, 56 also filled out the iSort evaluation survey. The findings indicate a very high level of overall user acceptance and perceived usefulness of the iSort app. Most users (77%) reported not experiencing any technical issues while using the app; however, some encountered occasional access and interface problems.
Administrators were interviewed about their experiences implementing and managing the app within their organisations. From their responses, four main sub-themes emerged: communication strategies, planning and preparation, operational challenges, and support and responsiveness. Additionally, administrators were asked about the app's functionality, specifically regarding ease of use, usefulness, effectiveness, and accessibility. Four main themes emerged: ease of use, technical challenges, navigation and results, and user engagement. Furthermore, administrators shared their perspectives on how the app could help them improve staff resilience, well-being, performance, and retention. The identified sub-themes included empowerment and ownership, efficiency, access to information and resources, professional relevance, data visualisation, and future potential. Finally, administrators were also asked for suggestions on improvements to the iSort app and whether they would recommend it to other organisations. Six sub-themes were identified: improving implementation, enhancing user engagement, improving usability, providing support and training, strategic use, and expanding access.
Administrators were interviewed about their experiences implementing and managing the app within their organisations. From their responses, four main sub-themes emerged: communication strategies, planning and preparation, operational challenges, and support and responsiveness. Additionally, administrators were asked about the app's functionality, specifically regarding ease of use, usefulness, effectiveness, and accessibility. Four main themes emerged: ease of use, technical challenges, navigation and results, and user engagement. Furthermore, administrators shared their perspectives on how the app could help them improve staff resilience, well-being, performance, and retention. The identified sub-themes included empowerment and ownership, efficiency, access to information and resources, professional relevance, data visualisation, and future potential. Finally, administrators were also asked for suggestions on improvements to the iSort app and whether they would recommend it to other organisations. Six sub-themes were identified: improving implementation, enhancing user engagement, improving usability, providing support and training, strategic use, and expanding access.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 3 Good Health and Well
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals