Walking the tightrope: dynamic resilience in action
26 March 2015
Earlier this year we held a full day event in Cardiff examining "dynamic resilience" and its use in a clinical setting.
The event, organised by Dr Mark Stacey (Associate Dean for Innovation), and Andy McCann (Director, DNA Definitive), aimed to use insight from other professions to support the development of doctor resilience and mental toughness.
Mark's hope was that the day would enable healthcare professionals to learn from practical tried and tested approaches to the management of acute and prolonged stress from the world of elite sport and the armed forces.
He commented: "A recent report from the King's Fund (Nov 2014) drew attention to concerns about motivation for those of us who work in the NHS. There is no doubt that there are many causes for this lack of motivation; including increased intensity of work, the lack of a pay rise for over five years and continued pressure to do more with less. This could potentially make us unhappy and resentful. There is an alternative, and potentially more useful, approach to improving the way that we perform, and this is by viewing such issues, not so much as a threat, but preferably as a challenge.
If one views such pressures as a challenge that means that there are potential skills that one can learn that will improve one's resilience and enable one to deal with such pressures that occur in a more positive fashion."
The day started with an insightful presentation from Dr Jamie Barker, Professor of Applied Psychology at Staffordshire University, on the effects of psychological interventions on performance-related outcomes and was followed by a series of illuminating and touching presentations from Team GB coaches, Special Forces and Counter Terrorist officers, and included input from Alastair Campbell (Tony Blair's ex press secretary). The presentations focused on dealing with performance under pressure and under scrutiny.
Five main points were echoed in all the presentations:
- Breathe!
- Be prepared
- Control the controllable
- Peer support is vital
- Never underestimate the power of human touch
Feedback from the event has been very positive:
"The talks given by the speakers were insightful, stimulating and thought-provoking"
"Gave me a better understanding of how people react, both in body and mind, to stressful situations"
The outcomes of the event along with interventions to support the development of resilience will be further explored over the coming months by Professor Alison Bullock and the CUREMeDE team
If you would like to know more about the event or future events please contact Elaine Russ
