“…medicine is not merely about performing tests or surgeries, or administering drugs… For as skilled and knowledgeable as my caregivers are, what matters most is that they have empathized with me in a way that gives me hope and makes me feel like a human being, not just an illness.” Ken Schwartz
Compassion shown by staff can make all the difference to a patient’s experience of care, but in order to provide compassionate care staff must, in turn, feel supported in their work.
In partnership with the Point of Care Foundation, we offer Schwartz Rounds, a supportive practice which provide staff with a structured forum to gather and discuss the emotional aspects of working in healthcare.
What are Schwartz Rounds?
Schwartz Rounds aim to help colleagues better understand the challenges and rewards of providing care. We all have stories to share and by bringing this to life through your experiences, we can help each of us better understand the respective roles we all play in the delivery of care. Evidence shows that staff who attend Rounds feel less isolated, helping to normalise the emotions that are part and parcel of working in healthcare but that we often keep under the surface. All staff are invited to join Rounds.
Rounds are focused around a particular overarching theme and take place at Merseycare monthly. Themes can be broad and overarching or related to a particular case. Sessions can be held either in-person or via Microsoft Teams.
Sessions last around one hour. The first 15 to 20 minutes will be led by two or three storytellers, who will share their experiences around the theme. Storyteller panels will ideally be built via a mix of clinical and non-clinical staff to help build well rounded perspective amongst attendees. The remainder of the session will then be led by trained facilitators from within the Trust, who’ll lead an open discussion.
The focus of Schwartz Rounds is very much on reflection, and so discussion will be focused around this as opposed to problem solving. All sessions are a confidential space, with patient and staff identities protected and it clearly outlined during a Round.
An added bonus is that Schwartz Rounds are also accredited with CPD Points, you can request an attendance certificate following a Round.
Find out more on the Point of Care Foundation's website.
Upcoming rounds
Information about these sessions can be found in the drop downs below.
The complexity and acuity of our patients is higher than ever and sometimes the care and support we can offer doesn't feel enough.
How does that affect us and our relationships with each other and our patients or service users?
We work with patients who have been convicted of serious crimes, delivering compassionate care and building therapeutic relationships.
How do we deal with the emotions that can bring?
