Bite-sized self-compassion: a pilot cohort study of a well-being tool for healthcare workers

Abstract

Healthcare worker (HCW) well-being is an urgent priority in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Poor worker well-being has been linked to greater turnover, lower quality of care, and higher patient safety risks. Brief, simple tools to increase HCW well-being are of considerable interest. The current pilot study examined a bite-sized Self-compassion Tool (SCT) for HCWs. 216 participants completed baseline resilience measures (Emotional Thriving and Emotional Recovery), engaged in the SCT (5–7 min in length), and the following day, completed post resilience and tool evaluation measures. Participants reported significant improvements in Emotional Recovery, which is the ability to bounce back from adversity. Participants did not report changes in Emotional Thriving, however they did evaluate the tool favorably. This pilot study offers promising evidence for the efficacy of the SCT. HCWs are in need of brief tools alongside system changes to improve overall well-being, turnover, and patient care.