You Section

Bringing the values of care, compassion, trust and learning to life in the health services is key to providing better workplaces for staff and delivering better experiences for patients and the people who use our services. Staff in the Mid West are actively developing a culture where our values become a way of life and a visble part of our everyday actions. This peer to peer approach to culture change is called Values in Action.

Values in Action is based on nine behaviours combined with a ground up approach to spreading change.

Mid West staff, irrespective of role or grade are working together to change our workplaces for the better. These Champions are actively talking to their peers about the behaviours, looking at and implementing ways to put the behaviours into practice and are capturing stories about the impact the

behaviours are having on staff and patients. Every day new stories are popping up from

day hospitals, treatment rooms and acute care wards of moments of brilliance that we come to understand as ordinary among our health and social care professionals.

Here are some of the stories Champions have shared with us that illustrate how they and others live the values of the health services everyday.

A little help goes A long wAy

“An elderly lady I am working with is

struggling at the moment as she can’t

drive since her surgery and is relying on her

children (who are all working) to get her to

her physio in Limerick. At her last session

she was very stressed as her pain is affecting

her sleep, all her movements hurt, and she

was worrying about who would be able to

bring her to her next appointment. When her

session of exercise was over I told her not to

worry about her next appointment -

if she was having difficulty arranging

transport on the day of her next appointment

to phone me and that I would do a Home

visit to her house instead (its 3 miles from my

Clinic). She was instantly relieved and very

grateful. I then offered her a cup of tea and a

biscuit while she waited for her lift to collect

her. I could see from her reaction that she

was surprised at the offer and that she really

wanted a cup of tea! She was really delighted

at the attention and she said thank you about

30 times. It made me feel good.”

egg-cellent“I recently heard a wonderful story about

a 93 year old man that was being cared for

by a colleague. This man had a particular

dietary requirement - he had been eating

duck eggs for breakfast every day for the

last 50 years!

His family arranged for some duck eggs to

be brought to the hospital and the cook in

the hospital kindly cooked them for him the

very next morning.”

Bridging An oceAn with

kindness “I recently cared for an elderly gentleman

who was approaching the end of his life. The

gentleman’s next of kin was living in the US,

and wasn’t familiar with the legalities of his

care and the Fair Deal system. I stayed in

regular phone contact with his next of kin, to

keep them informed, and to explain what was

happening, the process and their relative’s

declining health. Sadly, the gentleman passed

away shortly after. When the next of kin

arrived home from the States, they came to

the care unit and we met for the first time.

They greeted me with a massive hug; and

expressed their gratitude for the way I had

treated them throughout this difficult time.”

hello, my nAmeis declAn

“My baby girl fell out of her cot banging

her head on a wooden floor. She fell heavily

and seemed dazed after the bang so not

wanting to take any chances we went

straight to the Emergency Department.

She was triaged and eventually seen by the

team – the registrar immediately introduced

himself saying ‘Hello, my name is Declan.’

He made eye contact as he spoke to me

before looking at my little one. The amazing

effect of only a couple of words made all

the difference in an anxious moment. These

simple actions were really reassuring and I

immediately trusted him to do the best for

my little girl that night. When you’re feeling

vulnerable it really helps to have people you

can trust around to help.”

it’s okAy to Apologise

“A colleague shared a story about a time

when she was stressed and ended up being

sharp on the phone to her colleague. After a

short while and had taken a moment to cool

down she realised that her stress may have

impacted on her colleague so she called

her back. She apologised and reassured her

that it was nothing personal. The colleague

appreciated the call back.”

smAll things cAn mAke A Big difference

“I am a community occupational therapist and worked with an elderly couple until recently. Sadly the

elderly lady passed away. At the time her husband’s great concern in the midst of his grief was that he

would not be able to sit by his wife at the wake in the funeral home due to his limited mobility. On finding

this out I arranged for a suitable chair and other equipment to be brought from the local day hospital

to the funeral home so the man could comfortably say goodbye to his loved one in the company of his

friends and family. It really was nothing as its just part of my job but I knew he appreciated it”

mAny hAnds mAke light work

“A colleague recently experienced a situation where her team really supported her and helped her out. She was leading a research project and an issue had been

raised that needed to be sorted out quickly. She went to the next meeting of the group feeling worried about the issue and how it was going to be resolved. Without having to ask for help, her colleagues sprang in to help sort out the problem. They talked it

out and looked at what needed to be done and who was best placed to do it. As a

result she felt really supported and that the problem was not hers alone.”

� | health matters | spring 2017

CArE, COMpASSIOn,TrUST AnD LEArnIng

our VAlues in Action

7spring 2017 | health matters |

more informAtion

The Values in Action project Team is made up of staff from across the UL hospital group and Mid west Community Health organisation supported by colleagues from national Communications, Hr, Quality and patient Safety and the programme for Service Improvement.

Follow us on twitter @HSEvaluesor see hse.ie/valuesinaction

THEsehesehesehese stories are a snapshot of the many stories we are hearing about the behaviours being adopted and the many examples of staff living the values in their everyday actions.

Spreading culture changeCHAMpionS in the mid west are talking to their colleagues about the importance of spreading culture in a way that will make the health service a better place to work and giving patients/service user a better experience. it’s about sharing stories

where the behaviours are being seen and talking about their positive impact.

if you are based in the Mid West then get to know your champions, empower and endorse their work as leaders of cultural change so that they know they have your support. Highlight it when your colleagues or the people in your teams demonstrate these behaviours and share these stories with the champions and among your peers.

it’s about all of us working together to change our workplaces for the better.

You Section

Seeing things from other perspectives and understanding other peoples role/situation is key

to being able to work effectively with others. We all have a role to play in the care of our

patients/service users. How can we work together to solve the problem?

Am I putting myself in other people’s shoes?

Am I being fair to my colleagues? Can I see the challenges that others have and would I change

my attitude or what I do as a result?

Recognising when you are under too much stress is important as it can have an effect on your

health and wellbeing and on others around you. Seeking support from a trusted source or doing

things to relieve stress can help.

Am I aware of my own stress and how

I deal with it?

Am I dealing with stress appropriately, for myself and others? Should I ask for help or support? Am I doing things that can help

relieve stress at work?

Patients never forget how you make them feel. We need to be aware that patients are observing our actions and conversations can be heard by

others. Tensions between staff affect the patient’s perceptions and their own vulnerabilities.

Am I aware that my actions can impact

on how patients feel?

Am I aware of how I am heard and seen? Am I a good example?

INDIVIDUAL

VIA_behav_all_bigboards.indd 1 18/10/2016 17:05

Offer a colleague who’s under pressure time to listen, some advice or a helping hand. We trust

each other to do the right thing. Work together as a team. Ask yourself ‘Did I say or do something

today to help a colleague.

Ask your colleagues how you could

help them

Ask how you can help or offer advice to try to guide the way. Share your knowledge and

experience with others.

Be supportive of colleagues and tell them when they are doing a good job. Say thanks. Don’t

be judgemental; a ‘blame culture’ has no place here. We are all here to make the patient care

experiences better.

Acknowledge the work of your colleagues

Always say thanks and acknowledge the efforts of team members and colleagues. Treat everybody as equal, regardless of hierarchy or

role within the organisation

Do not accept that we can never change or improve, intervene. Don’t be a bystander when you see unacceptable behaviours which are contrary to our values. Acknowledge difficulties, bring balance

to discussions.

Challengetoxic

attitudes

Challenge toxic negativity, defeatism and cynicism. Address unacceptable behaviours (abuse, hostility, etc.) where a person is not

being treated with respect

COLLEAGUE

VIA_behav_all_bigboards.indd 2 18/10/2016 17:05

Very often the small, unexpected ‘extra mile’ creates an enormous sense of caring.

Small acts of kindness build trust and respect for staff. You are proud to work for an organisation

that demonstrates such kindness.

Do an extra, kind

thing

Provide small acts of kindness. The small, unexpected ‘extra thing’ is very human

and powerful

The first few second’s interaction between a patient and a staff member sets the tone of the whole interaction. See the whole person, not just

the problem, not just their number. Make the patient feel as if he/she is unique, the only one.

Use my nameand/or your

name

Introduce yourself and outline your role – similar to #hellomynameis. Human-to-Human: turn towards the patient, make eye contact,

smile, low and calm tone of voice

Sharing information with the patient reduces their vulnerability and gives them a sense of control. Use language that the patient/service user will understand and invite them to ask questions.

Provide a dignified, safe space for your interaction.

Keep patients informed – explain

the now and the next

Give information to the patient/service user on what you are doing now and what the next step will be. Reduce uncertainty as much as you can.

Explain the known and unknowns in no rush.

PATIENT

VIA_behav_all_bigboards.indd 3 18/10/2016 17:05

The Values in Action team developed nine behaviours that reflect the three dimensions in our working lives – us as individuals, working with colleagues and how we treat patients. The behaviours were informed by a comprehensive review of national and local patient and staff policies and procedures, staff and

patient/service user feedback, direct engagements with staff and service users and patient/service user feedback and tested with staff and patients.

� | health matters | spring 2017