Ms Holly Boss1
1Mid North Coast Cancer Institute- Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie, Australia
Biography:
Holly Boss is a senior Oncology Social Worker at the Mid North Coast Cancer Institute in Port Macquarie, NSW.
Holly has worked extensively in the fields of crisis hospital support in the Emergency department and Paediatrics ward, before merging into more of a case management style of intervention in the Cancer services.
Holly has a strong focus and passion for supporting staff members across all clinical areas, ensuring staff feel seen, heard and validated.
Holly won a 2024 Excellence award for her contribution toward staff safety and wellbeing.
Abstract:
'Time out' for staff was first implemented in 2022 after Social Work recognized the considerable levels of staff fatigue and burnout, as well as the decline in staff culture within our workspace. These negative factors affect our staff retention levels as well as job satisfaction feedback.
Social work is acutely aware of the challenges faced by clinical and front facing staff who are supporting patients and their families with a cancer diagnosis. Vicarious trauma was an inherent by-product felt by Nurses, Junior and Senior Doctors, Administration staff and Allied health staff who rallied around these vulnerable patients to assist them with their quality of life.
Social work sought staff feedback in the form of questionnaires and discussions and determined staff were seeking their own level of support where they were encouraged to come together for 30minutes, once a month to enhance their own wellbeing.
‘Time out’ encompasses targeted staff groups coming together in a safe and supported space, where they are encouraged to debrief about distressing situations or challenging patients; to reflect on patients who have died; as well as other generalist coping strategies used to enhance welfare and wellbeing both in and outside of the work environment. Some of the additional strategies discussed in these sessions include highlighting the importance of deep breathing to help calm the central nervous system, the use of motivational interviewing and the use of a strengths-based approach which highlights a proactive mindset for staff to improve their own work environment and culture.