The secret of our successLinking staff wellbeing to patient experience

Barbara Wren, C. Psychol., Consultant Lead Psychologist in Staff Experience, Kings Fund Faculty and Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust

In brief…..• What do we know?

• Link between staff and patient experience

• Why do we forget what we know?

• What do we need to do?

What do we know about staff experience?THE JOB INDIVIDUAL MANAGEMENT TEAM ORGANISATION

Demands Fit Style Role clarity

Culture

Control Physical Health

Skills Cohesion Structure

Support Psychological Health

Pivot Position Climate

Role Cognitive Style

Emotional intelligence

Task focus Strategy

Relationship Resilience Authority /power

Manage process

Survival

Change Work/life balance

Conceptual understanding

Manage difference

Ambiguity

The context• Objective increase in level of demand• Pace of change accelerated and less controlled• Levels of uncertainty and anxiety increased• Organisational commitment reducing?• Psychological contract breaking?

• Unique context 2010 to 2011/life of this programme

• Cuts and job losses• Safety reduced• Background of economic instability

“Surviving not thriving…..”

Linking staff and patient experience

•Connection

•Compassion

•Control

•Coherence

•Creativity

Coherence, Creativity and Contact

Split contexts: Why do health care organisations keep

forgetting the secret of success…• Paradoxes and ambiguity: individual or organisational problems?

• Process or content

• Task or relationship

• The patient or me?????!!!!

Saying one thing but doing another…….

Protecting staff

• Clarity

• Consistency

• Processing

• Sanctuary

• Resilience

• Teamwork as solace

Some of the qualities to preserve• Empathy

• Engagement

• Expectations (met)

• Esteem (preserved)

Designing interventions• Flexibility

• Creativity

• Formulation

• Fit

Thank you for your attention!

Barbara Wren

C.Psychol.

Barbara.wren@nhs.net