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Preparing Staff for Hospital Closure Through Education and Support

bY Tena McLellan, CHE,

Jane Petricic and Susan Grant

This article describes the transition support program that Ottawa’s Salvation Army Grace Hospital

ndation of the Ontario

d gynaecology programs the Queensway-Carleton

its other programs to the Ottawa Hospital.

e transition support program was planned through a T multidisciplinary Education

Committee. To prepare staff for closure, the Committee decided that the overall strategy would be to provide staff with the tools for making choices for their future. This was based on the assumption that staff needed to take responsibility for their own career transition and management within a supportive environment.

Prior to the Commission announcement of our closure, we anticipated that staff would need to be supported during the immediate aftermath of the announcement. Counsellors from the firm that we contract for our Employee Assistance Program (W) were used to intervene in the first few days and weeks following the closure announcement, by conducting presentations and interactive sessions to acknowledge and support the range of emotions staff were feeling. In the fall of 1997, education sessions on “Working Together Through Transition” focused on the need for staff to continue the mission of the hospital

in the remaining months.

Following the closure announcement, the Education Committee identified the types of information staff needed to prepare themselves for career transition. Topics were researched in terms of how best to provide the information and what resources would be required. Through use of a questionnaire, we asked for staff input regarding topics, timing and the best delivery method for the topics selected. We received 170 completed questionnaires. The number one topic selected was resume writing; interview skills and computer skills were close second and third choices. Meetings were also held with front-line managers to receive their input. We also contacted other facilities to see what they were doing.

With this information, the Education Committee developed a program that included a career transition component and a personal self-care component. A communication strategy was also developed as an integral part of the roll-out of the program.

The key goal for communications was to identify everything we were doing for staff under one banner. We chose the theme “Under Transition” and adapted a yellow construction logo to use on all print materials, displays, signage, etc. The program was launched by the CEO at a staff Open Forum. Immediately following the Open Forum, an introductory packaged signed by the CEO was distributed to each staff member. The program was deliberately introduced by the CEO to stress its importance.

All programs, courses and events are promoted on “Under Transition” letterhead. All information is repeated in the biweekly staff newsletter.

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The goal of this approach is to promote activities as a distinct and unique program for staff.

The career transition component focuses on career development as a life-long process. A variety of topics have been provided to date, including personal financial planning, Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan, early retirement, introduction to computers, introduction to the Internet, and developing a personal skill profile. Off-site computer training has been provided to staff who require computer use at work. Courses in project management and coaching skills have also been provided to managers, and a course in business writing skills is planned. Access to other career and personal development courses has also been made available to Grace staff by the Ottawa Hospital. Off-site career counselling has been made available to managers and non-union staff.

To support individual research and development, an on-site resource room, the Staff Transition Centre, was opened in September 1997. We held an all-day Open House in the centre to orient staff and answer questions. We worked to create an inviting place where staff were comfortable to browse or read. The centre has information on a variety of career-related and personal development topics as well as on external career education programs. It is equipped with a computer with Internet access, and also has a job posting board.

The other key component of the “Under Transition Program” is called “Taking Care of Yourself”. Its focus is on taking responsibility for your own health and taking time for fun. A series of activities have taken place over the past year, including displays, contests, lunch ‘n learn sessions, and

celebrations. Examples include stress management displays and videos, back care education, “decorate your door for Easter” contest, Halloween costume contests, Christmas celebrations, fitness classes, massage therapy sessions, flu vaccine clinics, “Toonie Tuesday lunch” and displays of a variety of healthy living topics. These events have been well attended and supported.

To obtain staff feedback on education sessions, we provide an evaluation form at the end of each session. We also conduct a six-week post-evaluation with a questionnaire to determine:

1) if participants used the concepts from the program;

2) what prevented them from using the concepts; and

3) what would help them use the concepts in the future.

We also request comments and feedback through the internal newsletter, management meetings and other informal routes. We have used feedback to adjust the timing of topics and to identify new topics.

In tandem with the “Under Transition Program”, we launched an external communications and media relations program to explain the closure situation to the public. We tried to be sensitive to the emotions our staff were going through while still trying to put a human face on the story whenever possible. We limited media access at parhcularly difficult times - such as the days of the final closure announcement - by using a few pre-selected staff spokespeople. We have continued to hold ongoing open forums and meetings with managers to keep lines of communications open, deal with rumours and questions, and ask for feedback.

Where do we go from here? Career transition sessions, EAP counselling and “Taking Care of Yourself” events continue. We are also working with Queensway-Carleton and Ottawa Hospitals to plan the orientation of staff transferring to these hospitals. We will assess staff needs for career counselling depending on the impact of human resource transfer plans.

To date, our evaluation processes have indicated positive responses from staff. Through our patient listening tools, we continue to receive positive feedback and support from our patients about their health care and the professionalism of our staff. We have so far spent about $25,000 for materials and external training resources. Although there are isolated cases of conflict and anger, our managers seem to be handling it well. Outside trainers and counsellors have been used in selected departments for specific team issues.

Although preparation for closure was a difficult, emotional time, we believe we are all making the best of the situation. Planning and implementation of our education and support programs are dynamic processes. We’ve learned and made adjustments along the way and anticipate continuing to do so in the time remaining for us at The Grace.

Tena McLellan, CHE, is the former Director, Corporate Services a t The Grace Hospital and is now the Director of Quality at the Ottawa Hospital.

Jane Petiicic, APR, is the Director, Public Relations a t The Grace Hospital.

Susan Grant, R.N., BscN, i s the Manager, Education at The Grace Hospital. The authors would like to thank Mary Keys, Vice President, Hospital Smices at The Grace for her vision of and leadership in Corporate Education over the past two years.

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