Table 4 Quotes on important elements regarding the offering of psychosocial support by hospitals
From: Use it or lose it? Identifying reasons for the low use of psychosocial support by hospital staff
Theme | Quote (Q = quote number, staff function, C = case number, data source) |
|---|---|
After the crisis | “There should be structural attention for this!”—Q21, Medical specialist, C2, survey |
“What they did well already during the first peak, is the taking care of professionals. Then they really created teams for psychosocial support […] And then afterwards we also had a digital meeting to see how we could keep doing that structurally. But I didn’t hear anything from that ever since.”—Q22, Nurse, C3, interview | |
“I think this team has since been disbanded, so in that case it would be nice if there was an alternative place where you can go for psychosocial care. If there is, there is too little known about it.”—Q23, Nurse, C3, survey | |
Accounting for diverse needs | “On the one hand lower the threshold more than currently is happening and on the other hand make it more anonymous. Support together with peers is nice, but on the other hand it is sometimes nice to be able to talk with a stranger.”—Q24, Support staff, C3, survey |
“I miss an independent person who you can go to.”—Q25, Nurse, C4, survey | |
“Especially ask the employee what he/she thinks he/she needs, really listen to that and where possible also actually accommodate that.”—Q26, Support staff, C1, survey | |
Accessibility and awareness | “Create more awareness as to where people can go to and make this especially easily accessible. If I don't feel well and run into problems, scouring the intranet for the appropriate contact details is not what I will do. However, if I can walk-in somewhere for a first talk, I will probably schedule an appointment.”—Q27, Support staff, C3, survey |
“Make it more easily findable on Intranet.”—Q28, Medical specialist, C3, survey | |
“Psychosocial support is at this moment voluntarily, while I think it would be could to have a more ‘mandatory’ reflection on difficult cases or situation and what it did to you more often.”—Q29, Management, C2, survey | |
“Nurses think they can solve everything for themselves and often go beyond their limits. [They] feel the work pressure at the department and the requests regarding scheduling work, want to go home after a long shift which makes that they ask for support too late. Provide unsolicited psychosocial support and approach employees personally with regard to feeling safe.”—Q30 Nurse, C2, survey | |
Active supervision | “Perhaps do it via supervisors so that there is time during work to pay attention to this. Now there often is ‘no time’ or colleagues or the supervisors see it as weird/abnormal if you go there.”—Q31, Physician resident, C1, survey |
“It is well organized, but the one who needs support normally doesn’t search and asks for it themselves. Supervisors have an important role, they hear [and] feel what and whether something is going on with an employee.”—Q32, Support staff, C3, survey | |
“Provide support to supervisors so that they can better help their employees. They are often the first point of contact in case of problems.”—Q33, Support staff, C3, survey |