Staff Well-being Research Articles

Crisis Management in Education: Strategies for Resilience and Adaptation in Diverse Cultural Contexts


 
 
 Crisis management in education is a critical aspect of ensuring the resilience and adaptation of educational systems, particularly in diverse cultural contexts. This article explores various strategies employed to address crises in education and examines their effectiveness across different cultural settings. Through qualitative methods, literature reviews, and library research, this study investigates how educational institutions respond to and recover from crises while considering the cultural nuances that influence these processes. In conclusion, crisis management in education requires a multifaceted approach that integrates proactive planning, resilience-building efforts, cultural sensitivity, and effective communication strategies. By adopting these strategies, educational institutions can enhance their capacity to respond to crises and promote resilience and adaptation in diverse cultural contexts. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the importance of cultural considerations in crisis management and providing insights into best practices for ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff in times of crisis.
 
 

Specialised residential care for older people subject to homelessness: experiences of residents and staff of a new aged care home in Australia

BackgroundThe number of older people experiencing homelessness in Australia is rising, yet there is a lack of specialised residential care for older people subject to homelessness with high care and palliative needs. To address this significant gap, a purpose-built care home was recently opened in Sydney, Australia.MethodsThis qualitative study explores the experiences of both residents and staff who were living and working in the home over the first twelve months since its opening. Residents were interviewed at baseline (n = 32) and after six months (n = 22), while staff (n = 13) were interviewed after twelve months. Interviews were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach informed by grounded theory.ResultsThree main themes emerged: (1) Challenges in providing care for older people subject to homelessness with high care needs; (2) Defining a residential care service that supports older people subject to homelessness with high care needs, and (3) Perception of the impact of living and working in a purpose-built care home after six months (residents) and twelve months (staff) since its opening. A key finding was that of the complex interplay between resident dependency and behaviours, referral pathways and stakeholder engagement, government funding models and requirements, staff training and wellbeing, and the need to meet operational viability.ConclusionThis study provides novel insights into how the lives of older people subject to homelessness with high care needs are affected by living in a specifically designed care home, and on some of the challenges faced and solved by staff working in the care home. A significant gap in the healthcare system remains when it comes to the effective provision of high care for older people subject to homelessness.

“I realized I was not alone”: A mixed-methods investigation of the implementation of Ubuntu groups to reduce burnout and social isolation in an allopathic medical School in the Southeastern United States

Purpose/Background Healthcare providers experience higher rates of workplace burnout, a reality highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, small groups, inspired by South African philosophy, Ubuntu, were introduced to decrease burnout and social isolation and build community and belonging. This study examines how participation in these groups can impact these measures. Methods In this mixed-methods study, trained facilitators led small groups that utilized story-sharing to foster connections within the group and broader community. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately and merged to identify convergence. Results Three main qualitative themes emerged: 1) seeking and building connections and community, 2) curiosity, learning, and growing, and 3) open-hearted and thriving. These themes were linked to quantitative outcomes, showing a statistically significant decrease in social isolation among staff/faculty and students. Furthermore, faculty/staff exhibited reduced burnout compared to students, while students reported increased feelings of belonging. Conclusion Participation in Ubuntu groups positively influenced students’ sense of belonging, reduced faculty/staff burnout, and alleviated social isolation for all participants. Future research should explore the potential of this intervention to further promote wellness on medical campuses. Programs emphasizing the well-being of individuals, including faculty, staff, and students, are crucial for supporting the overall health of medical communities and the wider society.

Perceptions of Quality of Interprofessional Collaboration, Staff Well-Being and Nonbeneficial Treatment: A Comparison between Nurses and Physicians in Intensive and Palliative Care.

This study assessed differences in interprofessional collaboration, perception of nonbeneficial care, and staff well-being between critical care and palliative care teams. In six German hospitals, a staff survey was conducted between December 2013 and March 2015 among nurses and physicians in intensive and palliative care units. To allow comparability between unit types, a matching was performed for demographic characteristics of staff. N = 313 critical care and 79 palliative care staff participated, of which 72 each were successfully matched. Critical care nurses perceived the poorest overall quality of collaboration compared with critical care physicians and palliative care physicians and nurses. They also reported less inclusive leadership from attendings and head nurses, and the least collaboration on care decisions with physicians. They were most likely to perceive nonbeneficial care, and they reported the lowest levels of job satisfaction and the highest intention to leave the job. In partial correlations, aspects of high-quality collaboration were associated with less perceived nonbeneficial care and higher staff well-being for both critical care and palliative care staff. Our findings indicate that critical care teams could improve collaboration and enhance well-being, particularly among nurses, by adopting principles of collaborative work culture as established in palliative care.

Wellbeing and School Improvement: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Over the past decade, the intentional promotion of student and staff wellbeing (i.e., positive states of psychological, cognitive, social and physical being) has become recognized as an essential dimension of quality schooling. This development has coincided with a growing body of research that demonstrates significant correlations between wellbeing and positive school outcomes (i.e., attendance, academic achievement, classroom engagement, disciplinary absences). While this body of literature identifies why wellbeing is important to school improvement, it is not necessarily clear whether it provides insight into how wellbeing may be effectively incorporated into the praxis of school improvement. This paper reports on a scoping review that sought to identify how the construct of wellbeing is presented as an imperative within the school improvement (SI) literature. The review identified that promoting wellbeing in schools as a means of improving school outcomes can be understood through three core concepts: (a) the development of personal wellbeing and academic capability are complementary; (b) significant cultural and structural reform is necessary in schools to enable effective approaches to promoting wellbeing; and (c) a nurturing style leadership is a determining factor in a school’s capability to substantively promote wellbeing. The paper also provides recommendations for further research in this area.

Safety and well-being of emergency department staff is essential

Safety and well-being of emergency department staff is essential

Experience and impact of inappropriate patient sexual behaviors within a large VA healthcare system.

Inappropriate patient sexual behaviors (IPSBs) can negatively impact work performance, job satisfaction, and the psychological well-being of clinicians and staff. Although the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, the rate of IPSBs in VHA hospitals is unknown. The unique demographic and cultural characteristics of military populations may be associated with IPSBs. To evaluate the extent and impact of IPSBs within a large VA healthcare system (VAHS), a survey was disseminated to all staff. Among the 32% of staff who responded (N = 1359), over half (n = 789; 58.1%) of participants reported at least one instance of IPSB during the past year; this included 67.9% (n = 644) of staff who identified as women and 33.4% (n = 126) of staff who identified as men. There was a significantly greater impact of IPSBs for women, as compared to men, on psychological well-being (X2 1 = 60.4, p < .001, odds ratio [OR] = 4.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [3.08, 6.79]), work satisfaction (X2 1 = 43.0, p < .001, OR = 3.51, 95% CI: [2.40, 5.18]), and workplace practices (X2 1 = 48.9, p < .001, OR = 4.02, 95% CI: [2.69, 6.11]). The results of this project highlight the need for overcoming barriers to reducing the pervasiveness and impact of these experiences.

Understanding compassionate leadership

In a culture of compassion and care, the benefits to the individual and the organisation are vast—these include: creating a positive working environment; staff wellbeing; high morale; engaged workforce; and commitment to the organisation. All these factors will ultimately lead to a high quality of care for patients, and a better patient experience and outcomes. The challenges faced by society and the workforce today heighten our need for compassionate leaders across health and social care. A compassionate leader is an individual who embodies care, kindness, consideration, wisdom and integrity in their treatment of themselves and others. The article looks at compassionate leadership—its definition, characteristics, and traits. While the benefits are well documented in the literature, this article discusses the challenges that compassionate leaders may encounter and how best to support their development accordingly. The importance of self-awareness and self-care is vital to sustain the energy levels and effectiveness of the compassionate leader. Compassionate leadership has the ability to make individuals feel supported, valued and dignified. It is the author's view that it is one of the most important leadership styles within 21st century health care.

Musical timbre with varied amplitude envelope improves efficacy in auditory alarms

Current alarm standards used in safety critical environments (e.g., medical alarms used in hospitals) suffer from a myriad of complications with detectability, annoyance, and alarm fatigue affecting the wellbeing of patients and staff. To a large extent, these are based on the same simplistic, temporally invariant tones. Here we explore how insights from the acoustic properties of the musical triangle can aid in detection, reducing overall levels hence reducing annoyance ratings. Two tones are used, (1) a standard tone similar to those used in current medical devices, and (2) a tone synthesized based on the spectral-temporal structure of a concert triangle. We conducted a detection experiment where participants indicated if the auditory stimulus is heard when presented a range of signal-to-noise (SNR) ratios and a two-alternative force choice task to measure annoyance ratings. Although reductions in SNRs reduced detectability for the standard tone, similar deductions had no meaningful effect on detectability of tones modeled off the musical triangle. Crucially, we identified a number of triangle inspired tones which are both less annoying and more detectable than standard tones. This suggests that these more complex sounds can reduce annoyance without harming detection, offering useful insight to medical device sound design.

Impact of the design of adult mental health inpatient facilities on healthcare staff: a mixed methods systematic review

ObjectivesMental health inpatient facilities are increasingly focusing on creating therapeutic, person-centred care environments. However, research shows that this focus may have unintended consequences for healthcare staff. Designs that do not...

Domestic violence professionals in Portuguese shelters: navigating challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This study investigates the experiences of professionals working in shelters in Portugal and their responses to domestic violence within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analysed qualitative data from 30 semi-structured interviews, mostly women working as directors or coordinators of those institutions. Through thematic analysis, we identified three major challenges: (1) Supporting Victims During the Pandemic: increased risk for victims and decrease in requests; providing psychological and social support; victims’ safety strategies; managing mandatory quarantine periods; and being able to help victims reintegrate into society; (2) Managing Shelters Limitations: using alternative and new approaches; online schooling; low house capacity; and delays in long-term shelter accommodations; (3) Ensuring Staff Well-Being: conflicts and feelings of powerlessness; work-life balance; staff mental health; house and staff safety strategies; staff supervision strategies. This study has significant implications for both practice and policy, emphasising the importance of empirical research.

A cross-sectional investigation on remote working, loneliness, workplace isolation, well-being and perceived social support in healthcare workers.

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare trusts began to implement remote working arrangements, with little knowledge of their impact on staff well-being. To investigate how remote working of healthcare workers during the pandemic may have been associated with stress, productivity and work satisfaction at that time, and associations between loneliness, workplace isolation, perceived social support and well-being. A questionnaire was developed to explore remote working and productivity, stress and work satisfaction during time spent working remotely. Associations between current loneliness, workplace isolation and well-being, and the influence of perceived social support, were explored with perceived social support as a potential moderator. A total of 520 participants responded to the study, of whom 112 were men (21.5%) and 406 were women (78.1%), with an age range of 21-77 years (mean 40.0, s.d. = 12.1). Very few (3.1%) worked remotely before the COVID-19 pandemic, and this had increased significantly (96.9%). Those who worked ≥31 h a week remotely reported higher stress and lower workplace satisfaction at that time, compared with office work, yet also felt more productive. Current loneliness, workplace isolation and perceived social support were cross-sectionally associated with lower current well-being. Those who worked more hours a week remotely during the pandemic reported increased stress, which may be related to the lack of resources in place to support this change in work.

The bright side and dark side of performance expectations: the role of organizational culture and the impact on employee performance and wellbeing

Organizational culture has the potential to contribute to employee performance and wellbeing when it creates reasonable expectations and provides employees with the necessary skills and other resources to succeed. A wide range of stakeholders inside and outside the organization influence performance expectations, which largely revolve around workload (the quantity, quality and timeliness of the tasks they are entrusted with), customer service, innovation, and internal relationships. Given the relative lack of attention paid in prior research to performance expectations as an element of organizational culture, our qualitative study sought to investigate the sources and types of expectations of employees and the impact on their actual performance and wellbeing. We focused on the finance industry, which has received considerable criticism in various countries in terms of the undue pressure exerted on employees and the effects on their stress levels. It was therefore surprising to find that most of our New Zealand participants felt that expected performance levels were reasonable, apart from the extra but temporary demands created by the Covid-19 pandemic, and that their wellbeing was a genuine concern to their employers. We signal new research directions to explore how organizations can shape cultures where performance expectations lead to good results and staff wellbeing.

'A ward full of emotional, aggressive people': Social climate and interpersonal relationships in forensic settings caring for patients with borderline personality disorder.

Therapeutic relationships play a central role in maintaining a positive social climate in forensic settings. The interpersonal difficulties characteristic of Borderline Personality Disorder, alongside the secure environment of forensic wards, can make developing positive therapeutic relationships with this patient group challenging. Qualitative interviews aimed to explore how ward staff understand and experience the interaction of interpersonal relationships and social climate when caring for patients with Borderline Personality Disorder on forensic wards. Interviews with 11 staff members working across UK forensic inpatient settings were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and reported following COREQ guidelines. Six interrelated themes were generated; three describe relational cycles that occur between ward staff and patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and three describe systemic factors that influence the context in which ward staff operate. From these themes, an integrative model was developed to summarise how factors in the wider forensic system and the interpersonal relationships between staff and patients with Borderline Personality Disorder in forensic wards influence one another, affecting staff experiences of the social climate of forensic settings. The model illustrates how complex cycles within the therapeutic relationships with staff and patients with Borderline Personality Disorder can interact with systemic influences in the wider forensic context to influence staff experiences of forensic settings. Clinical implications of the model are discussed, offering recommendations for improving therapeutic relationships and the social climate on forensic wards caring for patients with Borderline Personality Disorder, to better support staff and patient wellbeing.

Nurses' career choice and satisfaction with mental health transition-to-practice programs: A cross sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Globally, there are consistent issues recruiting staff into the mental health nursing workforce. In Australia, recent efforts to expand the workforce include recruitment of a wider range of nurses in addition to new graduates into mental health transition-to-practice programs. Understanding the career motivations of nurses entering the field is an important element of recruitment and retention. To describe nurses' satisfaction with their mental health transition program and identify factors influencing their choice of mental health as a career. An online cross-sectional survey with questions on program satisfaction and career choice was responded to by n = 55 enrolled and registered nurses in a mental health transition program. Nurses reported overall high satisfaction with their program and identified increased time release for professional development and being supernumerary as necessary to support role development. Almost 25% of nurses reported personal experience of mental illness as an influence in choosing a mental health career. Mental health transition programs are important in recruitment and retention and need to be tailored to the needs of a wide range of nurses and include support for staff wellbeing. Tailored transition programs can help strengthen role clarity, and support staff retention.

"Trust people you've never worked with" - A social network visualization of teamwork, cohesion, social support, and mental health in NHS Covid personnel.

The unprecedented rapid re-deployment of healthcare workers from different care pathways into newly created and fluid COVID-19 teams provides a unique opportunity to examine the interaction of many of the established non-technical factors for successful delivery of clinical care and teamwork in healthcare settings. This research paper therefore aims to address these gaps by qualitatively exploring the impact of COVID work throughout the pandemic on permanent and deployed personnel's experiences, their ability to effectively work together, and the effect of social dynamics (e.g., cohesion, social support) on teamwork and mental health. Seventy-five interviews were conducted across the UK between March and December 2021 during wave 2 and 3 of COVID-19 with 75 healthcare workers who were either permanent staff on Intensive Care/High Dependency Units used as COVID wards, had been rapidly deployed to such a ward, or had managed such wards. Work Life Balance was measured using the WLB Scale. Interview transcripts were qualitatively coded and thematic codes were compared using network graph modeling. Using thematic network analysis, four overarching thematic clusters were found, (1) teamwork, (2) organizational support and management, (3) cohesion and social support, and (4) psychological strain. The study has three main findings. First, the importance of social factors for teamwork and mental health, whereby team identity may influence perceptions of preparedness, collaboration and communication, and impact on the collective appraisal of stressful events and work stressors. Secondly, it demonstrates the positive and negative impact of professional roles and skills on the development of teamwork and team identity. Lastly the study identifies the more pronounced negative impact of COVID work on deployed personnel's workload, mental health, and career intentions, exacerbated by reduced levels of social support during, and after, their deployment. The thematic network analysis was able to highlight that many of the traditional factors associated with the successful delivery of patient care were impeded by pandemic constraints, markedly influencing personnel's ability to work together and cope with pandemic work stressors. In this environment teamwork, delivery of care and staff well-being appear to depend on relational and organizational context, social group membership, and psycho-social skills related to managing team identity. While results hold lessons for personnel selection, training, co-location, and organizational support during and after a pandemic, further research is needed into the differential impact of pandemic deployment on HCWs mental health and teamwork.

ANALISIS FUNGSI KEPEMIMPINAN DALAM ERA ORGANISASI MODERN

This research has the main objective of conducting an in-depth analysis of the role and function of leadership in the context of educational institutions, with a focus on improving performance and effectiveness. Through an analytical approach, this research aims to provide a deeper understanding of how leadership influences the dynamics of educational institutions and creates an optimal learning environment. This research identifies leadership practices that are effective in improving the overall quality of teaching, learning, and school management. In addition, this research analyzes the impact of leadership on staff well-being, teacher motivation, and student learning outcomes.The bibliographic method was adopted as the primary approach to collecting and analyzing data, allowing the researcher to detail key concepts and explore recent developments in the educational leadership literature.The research results show that leadership in the context of modern educational institutions is not only related to administrative functions, but also requires adaptation to environmental changes. Leadership functions involving strategic aspects, human resource development, and creating an inclusive organizational culture are the keys to achieving success in educational institutions. The leadership concepts introduced reflect diverse approaches to leading in educational institutions, able to adapt to the unique demands of complexity and dynamics in the world of modern education. Overall, this research contributes to the educational leadership literature and provides insights that educational institution leaders can use to improve and strengthen their role in achieving desired educational goals

Emotionally intelligent school leadership predicts educator well-being before and during a crisis.

We examined the role of educator perceptions of school leader emotion regulation (ER) and emotional support (ES) in educator well-being during a typical year and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on emotion contagion theory, leaders' (in)ability to regulate their own emotions may trigger ripple effects of positive or negative emotions throughout their organizations, impacting staff well-being. Additionally, based on conservation of resources theory, when experiencing psychologically taxing events, skillful emotional support provided by leaders may help to replenish staff's depleted psychological resources, promoting staff well-being. In two national studies, a cross-sectional (NStudy 1 = 4,847) and a two-wave study (NStudy 2 = 2,749), we tested the association between United States preK-12 educator perceptions of school leaders' ER and ES with educator well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, employing structural equation modeling and multilevel modeling. In Studies 1 and 2, educator reports of their leaders' ER and ES skills predicted greater educator well-being, including higher positive affect and job satisfaction and lower emotional exhaustion and turnover intentions. In moderation analyses, perceived leader ER predicted well-being about equally among educators facing severe versus mild health impacts from COVID-19. In contrast, perceived leader ES was more strongly associated with educator well-being for some outcomes in those severely versus mildly impacted by COVID-19 illness and death. Leader ER played a role in the well-being of everyone, whereas leader ES was more predictive of well-being for those severely impacted by a crisis. Regarding implications for policy and practice, efforts to promote well-being among educators may be enhanced when combined with efforts to develop school leaders' ER and ES skills, especially in times of crisis. Accordingly, school districts should consider the value of investing in systematic, evidence-based emotion skills training for their leaders.

The impact of ‘sleeping night shifts’ on veterinary clinical staff's cognitive performance and fine motor skills

Lack of sleep can affect concentration and reaction times. This study investigates the effects of working on-call emergency shifts on the cognitive function and motor skills of veterinary professionals, using a cross-sectional experimental design. A pilot testing battery – based on the Bruininks Motor Ability Test and the CANTAB Cognitive Safety Phase 1 Battery – was used on participating veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses after every night shift in a 4-week period using a cross-sectional experimental design. Significant differences were demonstrated in multiple cognitive functions, motor skills and reaction times between those who lost little sleep and those who lost lots of sleep. The study was conducted in a single practice, with a small sample size and within a short time frame, which limits the conclusions that can be drawn; however, it still demonstrates proof of concept and forms a basis on which further studies can be created to confirm the reliability of the results. The study demonstrates that veterinary professionals suffer the same detrimental effects of out-of-hours shifts as their counterparts in human medicine, and suggests that steps need to be taken to prevent this affecting staff wellbeing and patient outcomes. The study also allows for discussions around the further use and adaptation of battery testing to help support these findings. Practice managers, veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses in leadership roles could use these findings to focus on staff scheduling and allowing for proper rest periods, and they could potentially help to improve the wellbeing and retention of staff. The pilot study has helped raise awareness of the similarities between veterinary and medical professionals and the need for further exploration of this topic.

Rapid nursing redeployment from a specialist ward to a COVID-19 high-dependency setting.

Redeployment in health care can have a negative impact on the mental wellbeing of staff. Advanced planning and provisions for wellbeing support for health professionals has been recommended following previous pandemics. At the authors' institution nurses were redeployed overnight from a specialist cystic fibrosis ward to a COVID-19 high-dependency unit. To evaluate nurses' wellbeing following this redeployment during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed online survey, consisting of both open and closed questions, based on literature, preliminary results of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Nursing and Midwifery Workforce (ICON) study and staff feedback. This was sent to 28 nurses to explore their feelings and experiences of redeployment to a COVID-19 environment. Purposive sampling was used to select study participants while thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The survey had an 86% response rate. Using thematic analysis three key themes emerged: redeployment anxiety, lack of organisational preparedness and newfound teamworking. More than half (57%) of respondents expressed anxiety and concern when told of their redeployment; 52% reported that they did not receive adequate support from senior staff and management. However, 74% reported that they felt their nursing was positively influenced by support and teamwork from those in patient-facing roles. Twenty-five percent reported that they were looking for a new job or leaving their current role. This study examines the effects that redeployment to a COVID-19 environment has had on nurses. It highlights the need for further improvement to ensure redeployed staff are supported to safeguard their mental wellbeing.