‘You Before Me’: A Qualitative Study of Health Care Professionals’ and Students’ Understanding and Experiences of Compassion in the Workplace, Self-compassion, Self-care and Health Behaviours

Authors

Helen Egan, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK
Rebecca Keyte, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK
Karen McGowan, NHS Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group, UK
Lyanne Peters, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK
Nicole Lemon, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK
Sophie Parsons, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK
Sophie Meadows, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK
Tamara Fardy, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK
Pawandeep Singh, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK
Michail Mantzios, Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK

Abstract

Background: The importance of compassionate care within health care services is at the forefront of training and workplace policy and practice. The challenges for Health Care Professionals (HCPs) in delivering compassionate care are wide-ranging. Aims: This study explored the experiences of HCPs in delivering compassionate care and examined the impact of working in the health profession on their own health and wellbeing in order to increase knowledge around how to support HCPs in the workplace. Methods: A phenomenological approach was adopted, and individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with a sample of twenty-three qualified and student HCPs. The data was analysed using thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke's (2006) procedural steps. Results: Four major themes were constructed: (a) Keeping it real: The need for authentic compassion, (b) Compassion takes time: Barriers to delivering compassionate care, (c) There's no time to think about myself: Self compassion, self-care and health behaviours, and (d) Does anybody care? Accessing support. Participants talked of the occupational difficulties of providing high quality compassionate care and described a deficit of self-care in both their working and non-working lives. Conclusions: This study suggests an ethical and pragmatic imperative to enhance the care and support for HCPs, particularly given the current and projected shortage of HCPs alongside a suggested model of compassionate self-care for improving health and wellbeing © 2018 King Saud bin AbdulAziz University for Health Sciences

Recommended Citation

Egan, Helen; Keyte, Rebecca; McGowan, Karen; Peters, Lyanne; Lemon, Nicole; Parsons, Sophie; Meadows, Sophie; Fardy, Tamara; Singh, Pawandeep; and Mantzios, Michail (2019) "‘You Before Me’: A Qualitative Study of Health Care Professionals’ and Students’ Understanding and Experiences of Compassion in the Workplace, Self-compassion, Self-care and Health Behaviours," Health Professions Education: Vol. 5: Iss. 3, Article 2.
DOI: 10.1016/j.hpe.2018.07.002
Available at: https://hpe.researchcommons.org/journal/vol5/iss3/2