Schwartz rounds: a staff support intervention staff can engage with?

Schwartz Rounds are a staff support intervention which have been adopted in over 100 healthcare trusts in the UK since 2009. They aim to provide a space for staff to come together to think about the emotional impact of the work they do. Research into rounds is in its infancy, however, to date, findings are generally positive.

The current study aimed to develop a theoretical understanding of staff motivation to attend or not attend rounds. Interview data from ten NHS employees and one previous employee were analysed using a grounded theory approach. A theory was developed which suggests staff will make the effort to overcome contextual factors of lack of time and resources to attend rounds if they view them as beneficial. Reported benefits of rounds were similar to those described in previous research. Staff are less likely to attend rounds if they do not understand the aims of rounds or if they view sharing emotional experience as risky. High demands and a perceived lack of support may influence the degree to which staff trust and feel able to use rounds.

The limitations and implications of the study are discussed and areas of future research suggested.