Stress and burnout are endemic within the NHS and midwifery profession and have a negative impact on the health and well-being of individual midwives and on retention and recruitment for the profession as a whole. Furthermore, stress can have a negative impact on the care of childbearing women as midwives seek to manage their stress levels by employing strategies such as task orientation. As part of a larger project to engage staff in personal and workplace wellbeing, The Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUHFT) maternity services provided staff with the opportunity to learn the practice of mindfulness meditation. An eight week course was made available with the intention of supporting staff to manage stress and anxiety, increase resilience and self-compassion and improve the culture of the organisation as a whole. Evaluations carried out immediately post course and after 4-6 weeks indicated a positive impact in both personal and organisational domains.
Warriner, SianHunter, LouiseDymond, Maret
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences\Department of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health
Year of publication: 2016Date of RADAR deposit: 2016-03-17