Abstract
How best to strengthen compassion in healthcare has become a controversial subject, especially when governments attempt to ‘implement’ compassion through policy and regulation. This case study describes a workshop, designed according to principles of appreciative inquiry, which elicits stories of deep connection and caring, and uncovers the hidden strengths of the workshop participants. This re-connection to purposes generates positive energy and motivates people to strengthen their own caring and compassion. Participants are reminded of the values, hopes and aspirations that brought them into healthcare. Experience with this ‘Reawakening Purpose’ workshop in the UK, the USA, Australia and New Zealand shows it to be a transformative process for health professionals, even for those suffering from stress or burnout. It can be completed in 60 to 90 minutes and so is easily fitted into the working day. This workshop is a key process for inducting followers into an international social movement for compassionate, human-centred healthcare: ‘Hearts in Healthcare’. It’s argued that this grassroots approach to strengthening compassion may be much more effective than any top-down policy or regulation.
Highlights
The government in the UK has made the ‘implementation’ of compassion a matter of national policy
Is a top-down approach to compassion the best strategy or can we better encourage compassionate caring at the grass-roots level? [this passage moved from conclusion]
In a healthcare system beset with stress and burnout, the founders of the movement sought a process to liberate positive energy and reminded participants of the values, hopes and aspirations that brought them into healthcare
Summary
The government in the UK has made the ‘implementation’ of compassion a matter of national policy. The ‘Reawakening Purpose’ workshop [2] is an effective process for reconnecting health workers to the heart of their practice and strengthening caring and compassion. The ‘Reawakening Purpose’ workshop has inspired participants in the UK, the USA, Australia and New Zealand It appears to works with any mixture of health workers who have direct patient contact, including receptionists and office managers, and even a mixture of professionals and patients. Highlighting the many examples of compassionate practices that can be woven into the busiest day Reflecting how powerful it is to re-connect to the personal values and ideals that originally motivated a career in healthcare. The workshop ends by asking each participant to name one simple compassionate practice they will use in the day of patient care, or else teach to another. The entire workshop can be completed in 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the number of participants
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