Ideas That Work: Make Regular Rounds With Goodies for Staff

The pandemic has inspired healthcare facilities to invest more resources to support their hardworking providers. ChristianaCare in Newark, Del., was ahead of the trend when in 2016 it developed The Center for WorkLife Wellbeing, an interdisciplinary program that tackles the growing problem of stress and burnout in health care. “When caregivers feel supported and fulfilled in their work, the quality of their experience and their patients’ experience improves,” says Heather Farley, MD, MHCDS, chief wellness officer and head of The Center for WorkLife Wellbeing.

The program’s psychologists, researchers, clinicians and peer supporters offer various services designed to help clinicians reconnect with the joy and meaning of working in medicine. One of the services the program offers is the Wellbeing Wagon, a snack cart on wheels. A representative from the program pushes the wagon throughout the hospital, offering staff members a chance to grab quick pick-me-ups such as protein bars, fruit and crackers. The snacks helps to ease the burdens of overworked providers, even if just a few moments. “We recognized the growing problem of stress and burnout in health care, and we made a decision to tackle it head-on,” says Janice E. Nevin, MD, MPH, ChristianaCare’s president and CEO.