Written by Wiskow, Christiane; Albreht, Tit and de Pietro, Carlo; this policy document is designed for implementation in health settings to promote healthy workplaces.

Health workers are exposed to a broad range of occupational health risks because of the nature of their work: one-third of health workers perceive their health to be at risk because of their work. Thus it is crucial to implement policies to ensure that the health work environment is as safe as possible.

The focus of this position statement is on promoting the health and wellbeing of medical students and medical practitioners during their training and professional careers. Maximising their health and wellbeing will facilitate their enjoyment of medicine and the quality of care provided to patients and the community.

Also available in PDF.

A website article discussing burn-out amongst counsellors and suggested strategies for self-care.

PDF article on website exploring burnout strategies to avoid burnout among nurses.

A report following a literature review of fifty years literature review on institutional culture regarding the factors that affect postgraduate years 1 and 2 doctors (junior doctors) in hospital settings that impact on their health and well being.

It aims to establish what normal working conditions are for junior doctors in Australia, and the effect of these conditions on their well-being.

Report and recommendations about the key systemic training and planning problems facing the cancer workforce (and much of the health workforce generally) and the population pressures compounding them.

Online article with suggestions for managing stress and burn-out in general practice in the USA.

This guidebook provides medical practitioners with information and resources on strategies for self care as an essential element of their professional life.

It aims to encourage medical practitioners to:

• recognise and discuss the challenges facing them,
• promote self care as an integral and accepted part of the professional life of medical practitioners,
• assist medical practitioners to develop useful strategies for self care.

Resource produced for health professionals involved in palliative care in metropolitan areas of Adelaide.

The following PDFs can be downloaded from the site:

• Considering self care for health professionals in challenging circumstances
• Recognising the risk of burnout and implementing protective strategies

Report and recommendations following a survey of the oncology workforce undertaken to:

• Assess the prevalence of burnout and psychosocial distress amongst the various professional groups who provide or contribute to cancer care and research in Australia
• Explore to what extent selected predictors contribute to the levels of burnout and psychosocial distress, including demographic and occupational factors and communication skills training
• Investigate the perceived causes of professional burnout and strategies for preventing or reducing its impact on cancer care personnel.

Prepared by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC), a list of references for peer reviewed journal articles about self care for health professionals, including some articles on oncology.

A report following a literature review of fifty years of research on doctor‘s emotional health. Part One critically assesses and summarises the evidence surrounding doctor‘s physical and emotional health.

Part Two explores the factors thought to contribute to the emotional ill-health of medical practitioners; and Part Three reviews strategies employed overseas and within Australia to support and improve doctor emotional health.

A web-based article discussing the importance of professional supervision for counsellors, including benefits for self-care.

A related article of article is: Feedback in Supervision

This book explores the optimal balance between other-care and self-care for practitioners in counseling, therapy, teaching, and the health professions.

The book describes:

• the joys and hazards of the work
• the long road from novice to senior practitioner
• the essence of burnout
• ways to maintain the professional and personal self
• methods experts use to maintain vitality
• a self-care action plan.

Video and slides presentations from ASCO 2006 meeting.

In every major survey of oncologists with regard to reasons for stress and burnout, the issue of time pressures has been cited repeatedly as a key culprit. In this article, fellow oncologists describe ways to improve efficiency to maximize job and life satisfaction.

Among the topics discussed are assessment of one‘s use of time in practice and daily life, identification of common time-wasting practices and ways to eliminate or adapt to them, and favorite methods to improve efficiency in patient care.

A brief guide to self care for health care practitioners, with links to further information.

The St George Hospital manual is a collaboratively derived multi-author local tool with a formal local governance approval process.

As the largest national provider of grief and bereavement education, the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement offers a range of customised training and consultancy services that provide informed, high quality, professional development programs that meet the specialist training needs of organisations, groups and individuals. 

The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement has provided training and consultation to many organisations and programs within local government, schools and school support services, hospitals, university departments, health centres, residential care services and community groups.

Training can take place in venues throughout Australia or at training facilities at the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement.

For further information contact the Manager - Heath Promotion and Education, Danielle Ricato at d.ricato@grief.org.au

Several resoures are available for order and a calendar of upcoming events is also available on the site.

A face to face workshop offered biannually through RACS Professional Development program and run by the Cognitive Institute.

The workshop helps surgeons and advanced trainees identify and address risk factors of 'burnout' before they affect their career and personal life. Proven time and stress management strategies are explored as well as simple techniques to manage the effects of burnout. Workshop dates and registration information is available on the website.

Face to face workshops that can be organised and run on aspects of self care for health professionals offered through their respective professional colleges, institutions or organisations.

For further information, download the PDF: http://www.cognitiveinstitute.com.au/docs/MasteringWorkLifeBalance-MWLB_Overview_Mar05.pdf or email: enquiries@cognitiveinstitute.org

These workshops and seminars cover issues of self-care, self-presentation before others, and skills for training more junior staff. The emphasis of each workshop is on practical problem-solving and application of skills back into the workplace.

The workshops have been designed to meet the specific needs of health professionals, and have been developed and refined over many years.

The workshops draw on findings from the fields of education, psychology, and professional stage performance.

Workshops include:

• burnout;
• stress management;
• relaxation skills.

Texas Medical Association offers a broad range of online continuing medical education courses including courses focusing on managing the work/life balance.

Other courses based on primary care concepts, specific cancers and health promotion strategies are also available on the site.

Victorian based centre offering face to face training workshops for enhancing and empowering health professionals to feel energised and passionate in their work.

Available workshops include:

• Professional Resilience Programs
• Leadership Programs
• Emotional Intelligence Programs.

Contact the Centre for details of course schedules and registration information: mail@thedeltacentre.com.au

The Maslach Burnout Inventory assesses professional burnout in human service, education, business, and government professions.

These survey tools have been recognised for more than a decade as a leading measure of burnout. They incorporate the extensive research that has been conducted in the more than 25 years since its initial publication. This updated edition comprises three separate surveys, each focusing on a distinct work population.

The MBI Surveys address three general scales:

• Emotional exhaustion measures feelings of being emotionally overextended and exhausted by one‘s work
• Depersonalization measures an unfeeling and impersonal response toward recipients of one‘s service, care treatment, or instruction
• Personal accomplishment measures feelings of competence and successful achievement in one‘s work.

Each survey takes only 10 to 15 minutes to complete and is hand-scorable.

beyondblue‘s National Workplace Program aims to equip organisations with the awareness and skills to recognise and manage common mental health problems at work effectively.

The programs provides the following services to Australian organisations:

• workplace presentations and workshops;
• assistance with a workplace mental health promotion campaign;
• consultancy and advisory services;
• conference presentations & industry briefings.

The GP Support Program is a free service offered by the RACGP in line with the college‘s commitment to foster a culture of self care amongst general practitioners.

It is available to all Australian RACGP members who are registered medical practitioners, regardless of where you live or work.

Members can access professional advice to help cope with life‘s stressors which may include personal and work related issues that can impact on their wellbeing, work performance, safety, workplace morale and psychological health.

Further information and FAQs can be downloaded from the website.

This website is to support health professionals working with children in palliative care. It includes information about risk factors and strategies for self-care.

Support service and website: confidential service for doctors and medical students with health concerns, including stress and anxiety problems.

Services include:

• advice and information
• assessment and referral
• case management, aftercare and monitoring
• re-entry to the workforce
• support groups
• family support
• advocacy.

Presentations are available for hospital hospital groups. The website includes case studies.

This book presents a synthesis of issues,which underpin the practice of advanced cancer nursing.

The central concerns of the book reflect the emerging roles of the advanced specialist practitioner and include advanced practice, education, management and research and information about burnout and how to avoid it.

This is a comprehensive, holistic handbook from which nurses can select practical and easy-to-use techniques to sustain their bodies, minds and spirits as they meet the daily demands of their challenging careers.