To all Providence staff and medical staff,

In January, we asked you to participate in our ongoing quarterly Pulse Check Survey. We have been doing these check-in surveys since Fall 2020 and they are invaluable in giving us a sense of how you are feeling about your work and the care we provide.

The purpose of the quarterly Pulse Check Survey is to provide high-level indicators of staff experience on an ongoing basis. The initiative is also an accessible way to hear staff ideas and concerns.

We heard from 710 Providence staff and medical staff. Staff engagement increased 16% from the last survey! Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer the questions and to share your feedback. Here’s what we heard:

• 80% of staff and medical staff would recommend Providence as a place to work
• 82% of staff and medical staff would recommend Providence as a place to receive care
• 64% of staff and medical staff feel like their workplace is safe
• 75% of staff and medical staff were able to take initiative to add to the compassionate care of others on the job

Here’s a detailed summary of January 2022 last Pulse Check survey.

I’d also like to thank those of you who took the time took time to provide names of colleagues who you’ve seen being exceptionally kind and compassionate to patients, residents or colleagues. Praise from a peer is high praise indeed, and over 288 people from diverse roles and services were recognized for their positive impact on others. I have written to each of these people individually and I have heard back from many of them expressing their delight at being nominated, thank you.

We’ll continue to provide opportunities to recognise colleagues in future Pulse Check surveys – alternatively, you can send them a Values in Action badge on connect.​

What we’re hearing and the actions taken to support you…

Working and receiving care at Providence

The results of the survey indicated that staff who would recommend Providence as a place to work increased by 10%, and staff who would recommend Providence as a place to receive care increased by 9%. In a relatively small survey, we would expect some fluctuations in responses, but of course we are delighted that the % has increased. It speaks to the hard work that we do day in and day out, and the sheer passion of our incredible staff.

The culture of compassion that we have at Providence is special and I am pleased staff are continuing to recommend Providence as a place to work and receive care. However my ambition continues to be that this figure should be 100%!

Wellness and Safety

Concerns in this area were reflected in the quantitative results and the narrative comments that we received. The purpose of the quarterly Pulse Check Survey is to truly hear staff, and to take action, and we are determined to do more to try to ensure the physical and psychological safety of our staff at work.

Feedback from staff on this issue is driving the very high prioritisation of our Staff and Medical Staff Wellness Plan, one of our priority strategic initiatives​ for 2022​. Please know that your health and safety continue to be our utmost priority, along with creating a work environment where you can flourish, and I talked more about this in my message earlier this month.

While we work on new actions and deliverables within this plan, some existing resources that are available to support your health, wellness and safety can be found here, and please review this one-pager of resources, which also includes contact information for those that need immediate help.

We are also working on specific additional actions to try to reduce violence levels at St Paul’s Hospital. For more information on existing resources please see the Violence Prevention page on connect.

If you have any questions about Occupational Health & Safety, please contact Tam Akey (takey@providencehealth.bc.ca).

If you have any questions about Safety and Wellness, please email missionforward@providencehealth.bc.ca​.

Positive Staff Experiences

The third theme that came from the survey, and the written comments in particular, was many descriptions of positive staff experiences. It’s inspiring to read how meaningful many of you find your work, what an honour it is to serve patients and residents, and how much you value the support and friendship of your colleagues.

The next survey will launch later this month, and I ask that you please continue to participate and encourage your colleagues and teams to do the same. Your comments and input do truly make a difference and guide our actions. Thank you for your ideas and energy, and above all for your commitment to the well-being of the patients, residents and families we serve.

You change lives with the work you do and continue to make Providence a special place.

With best wishes,

Fiona

People-Forward