Clearly, there are actions that we can take and habits that we can develop to look after our spiritual well-being on a day to day basis. But it is also clear that there may be times when an experience is more demanding on an individual such as supporting someone at the end of their life or coping with your own grieving. There may be a need for more formal or dedicated support to be provided.
Each organisation: the care home, the hospital or the community provider, will have different provisions for supporting staff. This may include supervision, time-out, or counselling. For example, staff at one NHS hospital that we talked to, told us about how staff have a range of support options including 1:1 confidential support and informal group support. They emphasised the importance of reflective activities that can help equip staff to cope better and be more pro-active in how they look after themselves. One way they have been successful is through the introduction of Mindfulness workshops.
If you are interested to learn more about Mindfulness and how it can help you to work with the day-to-day stresses of your role, have a look at this short You Tube video BBC Breakfast Programme on Mindfulness (12 minutes).
In today’s podcast we will hear from David Gordon who works at the Staff Wellbeing Service in NHS Tayside, talking about the provision that is available for staff well-being.
Audio Podcast – How organisations support the spiritual well-being of staff
Listen to the Audio Podcast before you start today’s activity. It is about 10 minutes long. Choose a time that suits you best and when you are ready to listen click play below.
Play Today’s Audio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
You can read the transcript if you prefer.
Activity – What support is available in my organisation?
Arrange a short meeting with your supervisor or mentor or hospital Chaplain to ask about the support available to staff.
- What are the ways that your organisation supports the spiritual well-being of its staff?
- How can you access this support if you need it?
Top Tip: Note down your answers to these questions. If you would prefer, you can download the Course Learning Diary to record your answers.
We hope that you have gained useful information about how your organisation can support you, if or when, you need it.