Providers’ perspectives on implementing resilience coaching for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic severely exacerbated workplace stress for healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide. The pandemic also magnified the need for mechanisms to support the psychological wellbeing of HCWs. This study is a qualitative inquiry into the implementation of a HCW support program called Resilience Coaching at a general hospital. Resilience Coaching was delivered by an interdisciplinary team, including: psychiatrists, mental health nurses allied health and a senior bioethicist. The study focuses specifically on the experiences of those who provided the intervention. METHODS: Resilience Coaching was implemented at, an academic hospital in Toronto, Canada in April 2020 and is ongoing. As part of a larger qualitative evaluation, 13 Resilience Coaches were interviewed about their experiences providing psychosocial support to colleagues. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for themes by the research team. Interviews were conducted between February and June 2021. RESULTS: Coaches were motivated by opportunities to support colleagues and contribute to the overall health system response to COVID-19. Challenges included finding time within busy work schedules, balancing role tensions and working while experiencing burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital-based mental health professionals are well-positioned to support colleagues’ wellness during acute crises and can find this work meaningful, but note important challenges to the role. Paired-coaches and peer support among the coaching group may mitigate some of these challenges. Perspectives from those providing support to HCWs are an important consideration in developing support programs that leverage internal teams.