Challenges to wellbeing amongst clinical academic health professionals

Jennings, Alice; Galpin, Kay; Smith, Lindsay; Jarvis, Carol; Bellaouaied, Myriam

Abstract

Background:
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the toll on the NHS of a decade of austerity and increasing demand from an aging population with talk of giving attention to staff wellbeing. In the literature, employee wellbeing is clearly recognized as crucial in health institutions; however, few studies investigated its impact on health workers and most focused on doctors or dentists (Kinman and Teoh, 2018; Creese et al, 2021; Teoh, 2021 and Raine et al, 2022). Our aim was to explore Integrated Clinical Academics’ (ICAs) experiences of wellbeing in the workplace.
Methods:
A pre-planned evaluation for ICAs was offered as a Qualtrics survey, and in addition, an opportunity to participate in focussed discussion groups (FDGs) with semi-structured questions using Microsoft Teams. This allowed ICAs to tell us about challenges they encountered and any wellbeing practices in the workplace. Ethical approval was granted by UWE Faculty Research Ethics before undertaking the survey and FDGs.

Participants were recruited via email and provided with written information to inform the decision about participation. Data was stored in an encrypted file in UWE One Drive.

Survey responses were analysed using descriptive statistics for closed questions and thematic analysis for open questions. The FDGs were audio recorded and transcripts were created. Open responses (survey) and transcripts of FDGs are being analysed using six steps of thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). Themes will be identified across the whole and combined to create overarching themes in conjunction with the literature.

Results:
All data has been collected, and statistical and thematic analysis are in process. All results will be presented.
Early analysis suggests that ICAs are struggling with poor wellbeing due to issues with staffing and fixed-term contracts. Individuals identified a need for good role models and somebody to talk to with a clear understanding of clinical academia.

Conclusion:
Post-pandemic with an emphasis on recovery, wellbeing research is receiving increased priority. An IPPO report (2022:10) noted “The NHS is a healthcare service as well as an employer of a significant number of people. If it cannot first start with that most fundamental aspect of care - the care of its own staff - then how can it be expected to care for its patients or be a role model for other employers?” The evidence emerging from this project will be provided to HEE/NIHR to inform the recruitment and retention of ICAs and/or workplace practices to nurture these integrated clinical academic health professionals.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Developing and Celebrating a Research Skilled Workforce Conference 2023
• Start Date: Nov 29, 2023
• End Date: Nov 29, 2023
• Deposit Date: Nov 14, 2023
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11445384
• Related Public URLs: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBMGZFRUE9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--f5055204e88cd744b8ca08ffcc1ae4919fb807c4/DRSW_conference_programme_proposal_V4_(002).pdf