Identity leadership and adherence to COVID-19 safety guidance in hospital settings

COVID-19 presents unique and complex challenges to the Scottish National Health Service (NHS). As COVID-19 preventative measures are effective at reducing disease spread, promoting staff adherence in high-risk workplaces is vital. The present research explored the role of identity leadership on (a) staff's appraisals of leadership and (b) staff's adherence to and attitudes towards COVID-19 guidance. Semi-structured interviews (N = 25) were conducted with NHS staff across two Scottish hospitals. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, two over-arching themes were generated: leadership presence and approachable leadership who act on group concerns, where both created positive appraisals of leadership and were seen to facilitate adherence. Guidance from present leaders was perceived as both practical and applicable. Approachable leaders were viewed to facilitate information sharing, clarify guidance, and allow staff to raise concerns. Leaders who were seen to act on group concerns provided resources or updated guidance to promote adherence. The present study provides theoretical and practical advancements to (a) expand the known role of identity leadership in promoting safety in workplaces and (b) facilitate routes for adherence to safety guidance beyond COVID-19.

Effects of Inclusive Leadership on Quality of Care: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety Climate and Perceived Workgroup Inclusion

Purpose: The aim of the study is to investigate the multilevel effects of the inclusiveness of workgroup leaders on quality of care by intervening through a “psychological safety climate” at the group level and “perceived workgroup inclusion” at the individual level within professionally diverse workgroups of healthcare professionals. Material and Methods: Data are collected from 305 healthcare professionals nested in 61 workgroups and 305 patients treated by the same workgroups working in public-sector hospitals in Pakistan. Hypothesized relationships are tested through multilevel analyses using Mplus 7. Results: The results of the study show that inclusive leadership can enhance the quality of care delivered by multiprofessional workgroups of healthcare professionals through perceived workgroup inclusion. Further, the psychological safety climate does not mediate the relationship between inclusive leadership and quality of care individually, but it transmits the effects of inclusive leadership through perceived workgroup inclusion on quality of care. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that the inclusiveness of workgroup leaders, the psychological safety climate, and perceived workgroup inclusion can create safe and inclusive interpersonal mechanisms that play a key role in transmitting the positive effects of inclusive leadership on quality of care.

Veterinary healthcare needs to talk more about error: For the wellbeing of our patients and medical teams

Over the past 2 decades, patient safety has become an established priority in human healthcare. There is a large body of research in human medicine on harm caused by healthcare, its impact, and interventions to prevent it. There are also numerous guidelines, policies, and regulations to improve safety. An important realization has been that the same errors that harm patients can also harm members of the healthcare team. Empathetic handling of safety incidents can have positive effects on both the wellbeing of providers and their care of patients. An essential element in patient safety is the creation of a "culture of safety" within the health care team. A strong culture of safety describes a work environment where risk is acknowledged, individuals can report errors without fear of punishment, and the organization has a commitment to collaboratively implementing system changes to prevent future errors. A key element of safety culture is ensuring that healthcare team members are supported and asked to help create solutions for safer care. The principles of safety science and practices to improve safety have not yet been widely adopted in veterinary medicine. We describe a case of a serious medication error and how it was handled to illustrate key components of a culture of safety and a system-based approach to improvement. This case is timely as a recent review of patient safety events in 3 veterinary hospitals found medication-related errors to be the most frequently reported events. Open conversations about safety events and errors that can harm not only our patients but also our healthcare teams will help veterinary professionals learn from their mistakes, support members of the team, and prevent future harm.