Spiritual Health Research Initiative
Wesley Woods
Spiritual Health Research
 Explores preventative, predictive and relational
elements associated with:
 Spiritual Wellness
 Coping
 Resilience
In application with…
…relational, ethical and culturally responsive qualities of
delivery in the healthcare continuum…
…at Emory and through the Emory Center for Pastoral
Services, spiritual health research is a direct response
to the system-wide mission of transforming care to
patient-family centeredness…
Wesley Woods Research Team
…Chaplain Residents and Permanent Staff formed a
team to discover how spiritual health is engaged in
care transformation at the Wesley Woods campus…
…from within the team there was great interest in the
stress of staff having to cope with death…
…discussions about grief and loss ensued…
…it grew to seem naturally fitting to explore the
influence and impact of losses associated with work
and those in personal lives compounded together…
…this led to an extensive literature review and the
development of a methodology to engage the topic in a
descriptive and exploratory way…
…today’s presentation is a first step in our project…
The Wesley Woods Environment
 As a geriatric hospital, our patients-face extensive and
often compounded loss daily…
Such as:
Loss of autonomy, mobility, family members, ability to live at
home, and other major life transitions associated with
older age….
Thus, hospital staff are constantly surrounded by loss
through their interactions with patients and family
members
Workplace Loss and Transitions
 Throughout the year, we noticed:
 Many transitions in the Wesley Woods and Budd
Terrace workplace-new administrators and new
staff, as well as the loss of old admin and staff,
Units changing (6th Floor at Budd, Medical Floor
at WWGH), death of staff members
 Many changes at home-loss of family members,
health issues, family changes, taking on caregiver
role for parents, etc.
Literature Review
Articles Collected from:
 PUBMED database
 WorldCata database
 EBSCO database
 *Articles are available through Emory Library
Themes in Literature
 There is a correlation between well-being in the
professional and personal spheres of life
 High rate of burnout/compassion fatigue in healthcare
profession
 “Social workers and other human service professionals
bring with them their own history of loss and personal
way of grieving that can either enhance the
therapeutic process or impede it.” -Living Through Loss:
Interventions Throughout the Life Span
Grief Process
 Varied opinions regarding grief experienced by general
hospital and geriatric facility staff
-Anticipatory grief
-Unexpected Losses
-Nature of Relationships
“Professional caregivers in the geriatric domain are at risk for burnout
because working with the elderly forces confrontation with serious
illness and death.” –Ennio Cocco
Self-Care Strategies
 The literature points to the need for health care
professionals to be aware of their emotions
surrounding loss, and employ self-care strategies both
personally and at work
 Schwartz Center Rounds
“The Center’s mission is to support and advance compassionate
healthcare….”
Methodology
• Original plan: three focus groups
– Presentation of topic
– Self care assessments survey
– Follow up discussion groups
– Strategy planning for self care
– Obstacles:
– Time restraints
– Patient care restraints (not being able to leave unit)
– Environment not conducive to extra meetings
– Added work for already overworked staff
Evolution of the Process
 Modified Surveys to include self care strategies
specifically employed during loss, as opposed to
general self care practices
 Collaborated with already existing meetings, such as
UPC meetings at WWGH Units and Stand
Up/Huddles at Budd Terrace
 Individual interviews with staff members
Self-Care Assessment
Physical
Psychological
Emotional
Spiritual
Workplace
Balance
0
20
40
60
80
100
Self-Care Assessment During Loss
Physical
Psychological
Emotional
Spiritual
Workplace
Balance
0
10
20
30
40
50
average : 50
60
70
80
Themes and Assessment
 In general, people took care of themselves physically,
spiritually, and emotionally
 People believed they were striving for balance in their
lives
 The level of self care during loss decreased in all areas
except spiritual and emotional
Assessment Of Personal Interviews
 Most Common Type of Losses
 Loss of relationships
 Occupational Loss
 How Loss Has Impacted Service
 Burnout/Compassion Fatigue
 Physical Health
 Masking of emotions in the workplace
Self-Care Strategies
Professional
Personal
 Lunch breaks away from work
 Devotion/Prayer
 Support from colleagues
 Exercise
 Maintaining a routine
 Music
 Finding meaning in work
 Pampering Oneself
 Faith Community
 Vacationing
 Counseling
Future
Considerations
 What additional factors
encourage or discourage selfcare?
 Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
 Emory’s Encouragement of Self-
Care in Work Environment
 Feeling of being overworked
 Is Self-Care a Luxury?
Is Self-Care a
Luxury?
A. Economic Factors
A. Material vs. Non-
Material
B. Survival Factors
A. Is Self-Care
impossible when
just trying to
survive?
Conclusion
 Emory/Wesley Woods-There is a message of self-care
but the connection between the message and the
practice is not always evident on a day to day basis.
 Staff-Though the staff tend to take care of themselves
regularly in times of loss self-care is not practiced in
the workplace.
 Pastoral Services-We want to remind staff that we are
not here just for the patients but staff as well.