Health professional wellbeing and service provision: must we choose?

Amy Seymour-Walsh

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePosterpeer-review

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    Abstract

    Introduction/background: A health professional human resource is two things: they are employed by a service to achieve its core business of health care provision, and they are also defined by their humanity: the ability to think, feel, and relate. They are used as a resource, but they are human. Sometimes, these two roles seem mutually exclusive. Aim/objectives: This session will explore the potential conflict between a health professional’s personal identity and their professional identity. Where these conflict, there may be an erosion of one or the other, and this may be adversely affected by the ongoing demands of service provision within a professional role. Discussion: Desensitisation is sometimes used by clinicians in an attempt for self-preservation within a clinical role, however this can create a barrier between the patient and clinician, and hinder communication and care. Emotional wellbeing also impacts teamwork, problem solving, immunity and healing, all of which may indirectly impact financial resources through sick leave and clinical error. Creating a culture of clinician wellbeing may require an initial cost and time lost from clinical duties, which a service may not be able or willing to allow. Issues/questions for exploration or ideas for discussion: Emotional wellbeing impacts on sustainable and holistic health care provision. But staff can still sometimes be perceived in two different ways: as a resource to perform a task (akin to a machine) or as an agent of compassionate care in light of their humanity. This dichotomy is of significance not only to practice, but to the professionalization of tomorrow’s workforce.
    Original languageEnglish
    Publication statusPublished - 2018
    EventAustralia and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) Conference 2018 - Hobart, Australia
    Duration: 1 Jul 20184 Jul 2018

    Conference

    ConferenceAustralia and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) Conference 2018
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    CityHobart
    Period1/07/184/07/18

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