Meeting the wellness needs of emergency department clinicians: A scoping review of interventions

Background

Emergency Departments are stressful work environments that can adversely affect clinicians’ wellbeing. The purpose of this scoping review was to report wellness interventions evaluated in Emergency Departments and clinicians’ experience of these interventions.

Methods

Five data bases were searched using a modification of Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews were employed to report the findings. The review included only peer-reviewed articles and had no date or language restrictions applied.

Results

Nine studies met inclusion criteria. Interventions included tactile massage, hypnosis, mindfulness, happiness practice, resiliency, meditation, and video-based debriefing. Three key themes emerged following data extraction and analysis: The value of mindfulness; One size doesn’t fit all; and Enablers and Barriers.

Conclusions

Successful wellness programs must be relevant to Emergency Departments and staff need to be involved in the development and application of these programs to achieve maximum benefit. For long term benefits and sustainability, the strategies must be supported by senior hospital management.