A proactive, team-based, psychological solution to burnout

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, a tertiary teaching hospital in Toronto, Canada, might have thing or two to share about preventing mental health distress and burnout. Members of the hospital's psychosocial oncology division developed implemented CREATE—Compassion, REsilience And TEam-building—to help support care staff during COVID-19 pandemic.“We wanted develop an intervention workers, which could be across our institution, rapidly deployed, integrated into workflow, while recognizing [health workers'] time pressures,” said Mary Elliott, MD, psychiatrist at hospital.CREATE is proactive, team-based delivered point care. It incorporates elements psychological first aid, evidence-based approach that provides practical assistance reduce initial build resilience those who experienced serious stressor. also adaptive coping, helps individuals manage stress through problem-solving, relaxation, from others, according Elliott.CREATEAlthough workers teams expressed anxiety, anger, fear March/April early phase program, May mid-phase June late phase, felt committed, engaged, positive, calm. Over time, emotional tone these became more suggesting CREATE helped cope effectively with stressors become resilient.“The program has normalized talking openly health,” Sabrina Bennett, nurse manager Prince Margaret.Psychosocial coaches, leadership see as valuable model can replicated other institutions. coaches quickly disseminate information resources wanting needing individual consultation, Elliott said.“Generally, prescheduled sessions, support, adequate break full work coverage will garner participation frontline workers],” Erin Knox, PharmD, BCPP, psychiatric pharmacist director experiential education University California Irvine.ImplementationThirteen clinical managers collaborated 27 worker implementation CREATE. They collected qualitative quantitative data wave pandemic Ontario, March 19, 2020, after each teams.Psychosocial addressed needs practitioners four core areas: physical (14.5%), social (28.4%), (46.2%), spiritual (10.9%).“The majority did brief check-ins safety huddles team meetings respond identified themes real time,” Elliott.CREATE components▪Address needs: Coaches (HCWs) understand their connections so they challenging emotions such moral distress, disappointment, grief. Helping HCWs validate, normalize, address enables feel heard, cared for, understood.▪Calming strategies: use techniques meditation, breathing exercises, stress-monitoring tools resilience.▪Institutional advocacy: encourage speak up express concerns confidential forum, where issues are brought management anonymously reinforce institutional supports.▪Providing resources: HCWs, online creative arts projects, relevant reading materials promote self-learning general wellness.▪Tripartite coping: integrate emotion-, problem-, meaning-focused coping process emotions, solve issues, reflect on own motivating factors for becoming HCW them persevere times, respectively.▪BRITE (Building Resilience within Institutions Together Employees): built this system mindfulness micropractices six different areas, including fundamentals, self-awareness, connectedness, self-regulation, perspective, optimism.Going forward“We must evaluate interventions workers' health. Ongoing research needed examine long-term impact reducing how best COVID-19,” Gilla Shapiro, PhD, psychologist lead.As one most accessible professionals, “pharmacists good listeners, [they can] recognize domains aid—establish safety, restore calm, cultivate connection, enhance efficacy, instill hope—and draw members,” Elliott. pandemic. “We hospital. CREATEAlthough Although resilient. “The Margaret. Psychosocial said. “Generally, Irvine. ImplementationThirteen optimism. Thirteen teams. (10.9%). ▪Address Going lead. As