Long Lives, Healthy Workplaces
The Long Lives Healthy Workplaces toolkit is designed for anaesthetists to help create mentally healthy workplaces so they can reduce risks and stress load in the workplace, improve mental health and general wellbeing, build social connections among peers and develop action plans to support good mental health and the prevention of suicide.
The toolkit provides tips to support five strategies that will:
Improve the culture of medicine to increase wellbeing and reduce stigma.
Improve the training and work environment to reduce risk.
Improve capacity to recognise and respond to those needing support.
Better support anaesthetists and trainees impacted by mental ill-health and suicide.
Improve leadership, coordination, data and information on the health and wellbeing of our profession.
Long Lives, Healthy Workplaces is an initiative of the Welfare of Anaesthetists Special Interest Group and Everymind, with support from the ASA and The Prevention Hub.
We are pleased to present this toolkit to support better mental health and wellbeing for anaesthetists and anaesthetic trainees.
The development of this toolkit was guided by a national steering committee, chaired by Dr Tracey Tay (Specialist Anaesthetist and Director, Perioperative Service at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW). The committee included the following specialists from around Australia: Drs Prani Shrivastava (Anaesthetist, WA); Suzi Nou (Anaesthetist, VIC); Jane McDonald (Anaesthetist, NSW); Greg Downey (Anaesthetist, NSW); Shirley Prager (Psychiatrist, VIC); and Marion Andrew (Anaesthetist, WA). Other members of the Steering Committee include Jaelea Skehan (Director, Everymind) and Sally Fitzpatrick (Project Lead, Mental Health and Research, Everymind).
Long Lives, Healthy Workplaces - Presentation
A toolkit for anaesthetic departments
Members of the steering group have prepared slide decks for those who want to present the toolkit to their leaders or teams. There are explanatory notes below the slides.
Dr Suzi Nou has recorded a video of her talk to further inspire you!