In March 2020, we worked as part of the Education and Training Faculty at NHS Nightingale Hospital in London, helping to set up and develop training, induction and support for staff caring for patients with Covid-19. Some of our insights from this work were published in this BMJ Leader article.
‘Psychological PPE’ is a practical way of protecting the emotional and psychological wellbeing of you and your colleagues. It involves anticipating in advance the potential impact of demanding situations on mental health, and taking proactive, protective action.
At an individual level, this includes evidence-based approaches to self-care and self compassion, and practical strategies to use on a daily basis. Psychological preparation in advance is important to limit and reduce negative impact.
It’s crucial to remember that wellbeing at work is not merely an individual responsibility. Systemic conditions and work culture also play a significant part. For team, Psychological PPE involves working with clear, healthy boundaries and changing potentially harmful norms, behaviour patterns and dynamics. Psychological PPE has strong links with Trauma-Informed Leadership, Psychological Safety and Compassion.
This is important and sensitive work. If you would like support to embed a healthier culture in your teams, please contact us and we’ll be happy to talk this through with you.
Image by Antranius