Abstract
BackgroundThe literature on workplace interventions focusing on recovery is scarce; hence this study intends to expand that knowledge. An intervention was run for one year, aiming at increasing the experience of recovery during the workday among primary health care employees. During the intervention, different forms of recovery activities were integrated into the daily work at six primary health care centres. The aim of this study was to explore the intervention process and its effects.MethodsAfter completion of an intervention, 39 employees in seven focus groups were interviewed about their experiences of the intervention. A semi-structured interview guide was used, and the qualitative analysis was conducted by systematic text condensation.ResultsDespite different conditions and attitudes when the project was launched, the participants portrayed a positive outcome of the intervention at all six workplaces. Four promoting factors for intervention success were identified: support, legitimacy, customization, and simplicity. Also, three areas of improvement during the intervention period were described: the workplace climate, employee well-being, and recovery awareness, which in turn became promoting factors.ConclusionsAn intervention aiming at increasing workplace recovery can be promoted by support, legitimacy, customization, and simplicity. By using these promoting factors, health care workplaces can implement activity models which could increase employees’ experiences of recovery during the workday. Positive effects on workplace climate and employee well-being can also be achieved.
Highlights
The literature on workplace interventions focusing on recovery is scarce; this study intends to expand that knowledge
Health care staff are considered to be at high risk when it comes to stress-related disorders [1, 2], and primary health care in particular is highlighted as a setting for poor psychosocial work conditions
There are several examples of workplace interventions aiming at enhancing positive work experiences among health care staff, by reducing stress and promoting mental health and well-being [11, 12]
Summary
The literature on workplace interventions focusing on recovery is scarce; this study intends to expand that knowledge. An intervention was run for one year, aiming at increasing the experience of recovery during the workday among primary health care employees. There are several examples of workplace interventions aiming at enhancing positive work experiences among health care staff, by reducing stress and promoting mental health and well-being [11, 12]. An intervention addressing nursing staff effectively improved staff teamwork and work engagement by using discussion sessions, training in teamwork knowledge, and employee involvement [13], while another intervention reduced stress and increased the quality of life in health care professionals by using mindfulness-based stress reduction [14]. An intervention study using gratitude, i.e. directing the health care practitioners’ attention to events they were thankful for at work, reduced stress and improved mental health [15]. We earlier performed an intervention aiming at increasing employees’ recovery experience during the workday [19]
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