Abstract
An Integrated Health and Care System in England with workforce priorities including staff wellbeing and equality, inclusion and diversity, together with the Foundation of Nursing Studies, wanted to develop a programme that supported the psychological wellbeing and development of resilience for nurses across the region.
Resilience-based Clinical Supervision (RBCS) is an evidence-based model of restorative clinical supervision (Stacey et al., 2017; Stacey et al., 2020) that is structured using compassionate mind theory (Gilbert, 2010; Gilbert and Simos, 2022). It is also underpinned by an ecological viewpoint on resilience which considers the roles of communities and systems as a response to adversity (Walker and Salt, 2006; Joseph, 2013; Stacey et al., 2020).
The programme set out to develop champions, i.e. nurses who would facilitate RBCS in practice. The programme was intended to enable champions to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and confidence to facilitate RBCS with nurses, as well as other members of their teams, within their respective organisations. In relation to equality and inclusion, recruitment to the RBCS programme overtly and actively addressed the need for nurses from a Black Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) background to be able to access the programme with parity, ensuring proportionate representation and supporting BAME staff in their development and progression.
Virtual champion programmes were facilitated between June 2021 and December 2022. A Community of Practice, a group of people who ‘share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly’ (Wenger, 1998) was co-created with participants in January 2022 and were held monthly for 12 months.
Both quantitative and qualitative data were collated which included initial application forms, a programme evaluation form, facilitator observations and a participatory evaluation (Odell, 2018). Theming was completed by 6 individuals, including 3 of the project team and 3 external individuals. Pairs worked together to theme evidence and linked to personal impact, relational impact and organisational impact. This was cross referenced to themes that were developed by participants within the participatory evaluation.
68 nurses were successfully recruited to and completed the programme. In relation to diversity, we were successful in recruiting 47% of nurses who identified themselves as BAME which was equivalent to the workforce demographics. The evaluation findings clearly demonstrate immense impact on participating individuals and the teams around them. Individually, the programme enabled participants to develop new skills in facilitation, communication and active listening. Participants learnt new ways to be mindful and practice self-care. Participants also report finding the model and its components highly useful. Participants described this being a “ripple effect” within the teams they worked in, which included an element of calming and a deeper connection with each other. Importantly, this required organisational support and where this was present it showed participants and colleagues that they were recognised and valued which had a positive impact on wellbeing.
These findings indicate that RBCS has the potential to support connections across organisations as well as supporting the development of individual skills that impact on wellbeing.
Notes
Additional reference list included in attached slide deck.
References:
Gilbert, P. (2010) Compassion Focused Therapy: Distinctive Features. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Gilbert, P. and Simos, G. (2022) Compassion Focused Therapy: Clinical Practice and Applications. Oxford: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Joseph, J. (2013) Resilience as embedded neoliberalism: a governmentality approach. International Policies, Practices and Discourses, 1(1), pp 38-52. DOI: 10.1080/21693293.2013.765741.
Odell, J. (2018) Reflections on developing a participatory evaluation as part of the Patients First Programme. International Practice Development Journal, 8(2), article 7. DOI: 10.19043/ipdj.82.007.
Stacey, G., Aubeeluck, A., Cook, G. and Dutta, S. (2017) A case study exploring the experience of resilience-based clinical supervision and its influence on care towards self and others among student nurses. International Practice Development Journal, 7(2), article 5. DOI: 10.19043/ipdj.72.005
Stacey, G., Cook, G., Aubeeluck, A., Stranks, B., Long, L., Krepa, M. and Lucre, K. (2020) The implementation of resilience based clinical supervision to support transition to practice in newly qualified healthcare professionals. Nurse Education Today, 94. DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104564.
Walker, B. and Salt, D. (2006) Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Clinical Supervision, Hospital Nursing Staff, Psychological Well-Being, Psychological Stress, Psychosocial Support
Recommended Citation
Cook, Grace M.; Bosanquet, Joanne P.; Caldwell, Chris; and Shaw, Claire J., "A Collaborative Approach to Supporting Nurses' Well-Being Across an Integrated Health and Care System" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 128.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/128
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2024
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-03-06
A Collaborative Approach to Supporting Nurses' Well-Being Across an Integrated Health and Care System
Washington, DC, USA
An Integrated Health and Care System in England with workforce priorities including staff wellbeing and equality, inclusion and diversity, together with the Foundation of Nursing Studies, wanted to develop a programme that supported the psychological wellbeing and development of resilience for nurses across the region.
Resilience-based Clinical Supervision (RBCS) is an evidence-based model of restorative clinical supervision (Stacey et al., 2017; Stacey et al., 2020) that is structured using compassionate mind theory (Gilbert, 2010; Gilbert and Simos, 2022). It is also underpinned by an ecological viewpoint on resilience which considers the roles of communities and systems as a response to adversity (Walker and Salt, 2006; Joseph, 2013; Stacey et al., 2020).
The programme set out to develop champions, i.e. nurses who would facilitate RBCS in practice. The programme was intended to enable champions to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and confidence to facilitate RBCS with nurses, as well as other members of their teams, within their respective organisations. In relation to equality and inclusion, recruitment to the RBCS programme overtly and actively addressed the need for nurses from a Black Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) background to be able to access the programme with parity, ensuring proportionate representation and supporting BAME staff in their development and progression.
Virtual champion programmes were facilitated between June 2021 and December 2022. A Community of Practice, a group of people who ‘share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly’ (Wenger, 1998) was co-created with participants in January 2022 and were held monthly for 12 months.
Both quantitative and qualitative data were collated which included initial application forms, a programme evaluation form, facilitator observations and a participatory evaluation (Odell, 2018). Theming was completed by 6 individuals, including 3 of the project team and 3 external individuals. Pairs worked together to theme evidence and linked to personal impact, relational impact and organisational impact. This was cross referenced to themes that were developed by participants within the participatory evaluation.
68 nurses were successfully recruited to and completed the programme. In relation to diversity, we were successful in recruiting 47% of nurses who identified themselves as BAME which was equivalent to the workforce demographics. The evaluation findings clearly demonstrate immense impact on participating individuals and the teams around them. Individually, the programme enabled participants to develop new skills in facilitation, communication and active listening. Participants learnt new ways to be mindful and practice self-care. Participants also report finding the model and its components highly useful. Participants described this being a “ripple effect” within the teams they worked in, which included an element of calming and a deeper connection with each other. Importantly, this required organisational support and where this was present it showed participants and colleagues that they were recognised and valued which had a positive impact on wellbeing.
These findings indicate that RBCS has the potential to support connections across organisations as well as supporting the development of individual skills that impact on wellbeing.
Description
Nurse well-being is a priority for many organisations. Across an integrated health and care system in England, we supported nurse leaders to become Resilience-based Clinical Supervision champions to support the well-being of their teams. The evaluation findings clearly demonstrate immense impact on participating individuals and the teams around them.