As part of the Mission: Forward Staff Workforce + Wellness Plan, the PHC Wellness Team is proud to announce the launch of the PHC Wellness Champion Pilot!
The 6-month Wellness Champion Pilot will launch with three PHC staff volunteers who are invested in enhancing wellness in their work areas.
This grassroots strategy aims to engage with frontline staff and medical staff through partnerships with Wellness Champions and their local leadership.
The Wellness team will support Wellness Champions and their local teams to shift workplace culture to one that actively incorporates wellness activities with staff and medical staff. An example of this could be a Wellness Champion coaching their team in a positive reframing exercise once a week (see the recently launched Wellness Toolkit for more info on positive reframing!).
Recruitment for future Wellness Champions will be informed by the success and feedback the pilot. If you’d like to learn more or have interest in getting involved please reach out to wellness@providencehealth.bc.ca
Meet the Pilot Wellness Champions:
Holly Andrews, Clinical Nurse Leader, Cardiology 5A, SPH
Holly needs no introduction; respected in the Heart Centre as seasoned 5A CNL, Holly already leads many wellness initiatives on 5A including the Staff Appreciation Jar. The wellness team looks forward to collaborating with Holly!
Kala Renard, RN, CICU & CSICU, SPH
Why are you interested in being part of this initiative?
- I am interested in being a part of this initiative because I want individuals to value and take time to prioritize their mental health as I believe it is fundamental to one’s own happiness.
What is one small change your work area(s) can expect to see?
- One small change I can anticipate in the work area is creating transparency to addressing the importance of our mental health, whether that is from more direct or indirect processes such as having conversations with others or safe guarding physical spaces for individuals to utilize alone and together.
What is something you do for your own wellness?
- The initiatives I take for my own wellness include going for nature walks with my Alaskan Malamute and limiting my social media use.
Kamal Preet, Nurse Educator, Rehab, Holy Family Hospital
Why are you interested in being part of this initiative?
- Just to help our staff here by encouraging them to be mindful of their health while doing their job e.g. proper posture, quick stretching in between the nursing activities etc.
What is one small change your work area(s) can expect to see?
- We can do “Staff Appreciation Jar”, “Regular Wellness Huddles“ and also would like to get their participation how they would like to get this going. It’s going to be a slow long process before we can really see any change but definitely I would anticipate staff could implement this in their day to day practice.
What is something you do for your own wellness?
- If time permits I try to do stretches at home, do some gardening or go for short walks.
Providing the best care to the people we serve is dependent on our own health and wellness. We can’t work if we’re not well, and work cannot be what makes us unwell. For 2023 we are working on a set of actions and strategies that will help us to create a healthy and safe work environment where everyone can flourish. We are also building out initiatives to bring new people to Providence, and keep the amazing people we currently have. If you have an idea that would improve your work life, please send it to Ideas: Forward. If you have questions or feedback about Workforce + Wellness, please be in touch: missionforward@providencehealth.bc.ca .
