2017 GHP - Mental Health Awards

10 GHP / September 2017 , The award winning restoration programme at St. Patrick’s Hospital falls in line with the policy on the retention of staff in the HSE evaluation process. The programme is completed and highly rated by and for supporting staff, and it is now likely it will be implemented by ONMSD and HSE as a mechanism to keep staff healthy, both mentally and physically. This will contribute to the retention of staff in the healthcare services whilst also ensuring their wellbeing, and this is considered to be progression in the advancement of aims to support and nurture staff. Mary details the programme and outlines what the overall aim is. “Fundamentally, I run a programme of restoration for staff called the Steps of Restoration one day- Day 1. The programme is a mindfulness based practice of self-care and wellbeing, which outlines the science of how stress can affect all kinds of people and why people’s bodies respond differently when under constant stress of any kind. It offers and provides techniques that may help staff in their professional and private lives, based on a coaching model and on a human given theory of how emotional needs are met and if they are not being met, what happens. MHA17008 Excellence Award for Staff Wellbeing Initiatives Mary Prendergast, Director of Nursing at St. Patrick’s Hospital, designed, developed, applied and facilitated a programme for restoration andwellbeing of staff in busy services.We spoke to Mary and profiled the hospital to try andfind outmore about herself and the programme and she helped to design. “The aim of the programme is to provide support to nurses, midwives and care staff, enabling them to feel grounded in their own wisdom, whilst also exploring their innate capacity to feel deeply and understand their values and beliefs. Staff need to be able to think clearly and act with integrity, demonstrating a high quality of standards and care. The programme will also help people to understand emotional intelligence and learn mechanisms or tools which can support them in challenging situations.” After day one of the programme, Mary explains how she offers the opportunity to staff of continuing the programme through conscious caring, which comes about through collaboration, peace and leadership, on days two, three and four respectively. “Basically, the aim of our programme is to enable nurses, midwives and healthcare staff to develop a range of strategies and techniques to tackle a stressful, busy working environment and build capacity to facilitate appreciative enquiry, commitment and contentment in the work place. Staff should also be able to feel grounded in their own professional and personal wisdom, while exploring their innate capacity to feel deeply and understand their values and believes, think clearly and act with integrity to demonstrate high quality and standards of professional care and behaviour in relation to the values of care, compassion, trust and learning.” Regarding the hospital’s overall mission statement, the company aims to help the people it serves, maximising their health and social wellbeing, using the resources at our disposal as effectively and efficiently as it can. The hospital has a vision of providing patient centred care, which is a shared decision, ultimately aiding residents, families and carers settle into a homely setting where each person’s uniqueness and the right of choice is valued. The hospital achieves this vision by being open to new ideas and ways of working, demonstrating a commitment to effective communication and teamwork and developing practice to reflect its shared vision with its residents. The hospital manages its resources, staffing levels and skill mix, continuing professional development with the careful management of its ageing care environment. Fundamentally, St. Patrick’s aim of care reflects its philosophy and person centred vision in that all continuing care wards provide a safe, caring and clean environment in which all of residents receive the utmost standard of quality care that they require and deserve. Continuing to be positive, the hospital’s philosophy is to embrace positive ageing and place the elderly person at the centre of all our decisions in relation to the provision of the residential service. It acts as the residents advocate and provides a forum for residents to take an active role in relation to decisions of the service, appreciating any sort of feedback. The team promote independence, health and well-being and aim to provide a safe therapeutic environment where privacy, dignity and confidentiality are respected. With empathy, kindness and a holistic approach, staff address physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the residents. At the hospital, employees encourage individual choice and active participation in care related decisions based on effective communication and information exchange. Involvement of family and friends enrich care and contribute to a happy homely atmosphere. Ultimately, St. Patrick’s Hospital recognises the expertise and valuable contribution of all staff and the importance of team