Article content

Cindy Hayward-Dale was raised in Owen Sound, Ontario and after secondary school studied for her Bachelor of Science Nursing Degree and a diploma in Occupational Health Nursing. Before joining the Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS), she was an occupational health nurse at Toyota Canada.

Article content

“People who choose to work in healthcare, particularly acute hospital settings, know upfront that it is a caring environment where we help patients and families through what can often be very traumatic and stressful situations,” Hayward-Dale said.

Article content

In Hayward-Dale’s career she has been a part of SARS, H1N1, many influenza outbreaks, and of course COVID-19. She has experienced firsthand the ongoing changes in the delivery of healthcare, including increased patients and the impact COVID-19 has had.

“Hospital staff, physicians, and volunteers are facing issues we have not seen before. Staff shortages, exhaustion, and burnout are commonplace,” Hayward-Dale said, adding, “Staff can easily find themselves not being able to leave the job at work.”

Article content

Hayward-Dale is the interim director of Organizational Health, Organizational Development, and Volunteer Engagement. Eight years ago, realizing the emotional and mental health of employees needed to be addressed, Hayward-Dale and others in her department set out to make a change in the lives of the hospital caregivers. The result is the peer support program, which is unique not only to the Brant Community Healthcare System.

“We reached out to SickKids in Toronto to learn what they were doing,” Hayward-Dale said. “Now, hospitals from London to Toronto are calling us.”

The peer support program is an emotional support service designed to improve the psychological health and safety, resiliency, well-being, and sustainability of all employees, physicians, and volunteers at the BGH and Willett Hospitals.

Article content

Audrey Zheke, the peer support and wellness specialist, coordinates the program.

“We have a team of nine staff members from various departments, both clinical and non-clinical, who have certification in critical incident stress management training to help others who may need assistance,” Zheke said.

“We are always available, ready to go where the staff are to listen to their issues, guide them through a difficult case and debrief before they go home,” Zheke said.

Zheke indicated that in the past five months, there have been 73 referrals plus 39 traumatic event referrals for the peer support program. When certain hospital codes are announced the team automatically arrives.

“Staff tell us they appreciate us coming directly to them,” Zheke said. “We also can meet virtually, on the phone, or using email. It depends on the situation and the need.”

Currently, the program operates weekdays with 24/7 referral support for all staff, physicians, and volunteers, however, the aim is to expand to 365 days a year.

“Hospitals are not always a happy place,” Hayward-Dale said. “In hospitals it is described as ‘compassion fatigue.’

As Zheke said, “Our caregivers love their jobs and caring for their patients; but now, they need some love.”

Hospital Insider is written by Gary Chalk who assists with communications for the Brant Community Healthcare system.

Article content