Wellbeing in the workplace

Promotional article for the occupational health magazin

Final Recommendations from the World Health Organisation Commission on the Social Determinants of Health: Nurses, part of the solution? A discussion paper.

Aim This paper suggests that nursing needs a new paradigm for research and practice that recognises the social determinants of health as potentially preventable causes of ill health. It is clear from the recent report from the World Health Organisation Commission on the Social Determinants of Health that nurses are critical to global change through their ability to champion a `social determinants of health` approach with partner agencies. Data Sources Relevant literature searches have been undertaken to inform this discussion paper using the following databases in late 2008/early 2009 including the previous twenty years as relevant (British Nursing Index, Medline and Cinahl). In addition relevant international policy documents have been referred to from 2000 on. Discussion On the publication of this report it is timely for nurses to take stock of how they might be most effective in reducing inequities in health as part of a global work force and resource for health. Many nurses will feel that they already work to promote social justice and poverty reduction yet their scope of action is often limited by their specific sector. Do nurses need a new paradigm for research and practice that focuses on the social determinants of health as potentially preventable causes of ill health? Conclusion Nurses need to strengthen their strategic skills to reaffirm inequities in health as a priority within often complex local circumstances and to enable them and those they care for to influence local and national policy, research and practice development. Key words – health, inequities, nursing practic

Lifeworld led care wellbeing, and the 5th wave of public health

A recent paper has made the case for a `fifth wave` of public health action. The paper articulated the first four waves as focusing on civil engineering, the germ theory of disease, welfare reforms and lifestyle issues. This paper will focus on well-being and will expand on the authors articulation of a current need to “discover a new image of what it is to be human” in order to begin to address the challenges of promoting well-being. This paper will consider an alternative way of viewing human beings within a `caring` context and how this alternative view may aid this potential fifth wave of public health action. This alternative view has emerged from the work of Husserl who suggested that any human view of the world without subjectivity has excluded its basic foundation. The phenomenological understanding of `lifeworld` is articulated through five elements, temporality, spaciality, intersubjectivity, embodiment and mood which are all discussed here in more detail. A world of colours, sparkling stars, memories, happiness, joy, anger and sadness. It is this `lifeworld` which when health care or as argued in this paper public health become overly focused on decontextualised goals and measuring quality superficially can be neglected

Reducing social isolation and promoting well being in older people

This paper reports on a three year research project exploring the impacts of an intervention seeking to reduce social isolation in the older age group. The research team initially reviewed the literature focusing on quality of life and the older adult and found that the term itself includes a broad range of life areas, with little consensus about the definition of the term itself. The literature clearly demonstrated however, that social and family relationships are embedded within the definition of a ‘good quality of life’ for older adults. The overarching themes which guided the research process were: 1. A participatory approach to the research to enable club attendees, volunteers and staff to be meaningfully involved with the study as it progressed. 2. Three areas of learning to inform the study design, the existing literature on this area, the initial responses (data) collected and the `iterative` reflective process of being involved as researchers in this study. 3. To ensure data collection captured not only the `amount` or `degree` of impact on social isolation which the clubs may have for those who attend, but also the narratives or `stories` which offer the details of their experiences. Overall the perceived benefits for attendees of attending the friendship clubs fell into three key areas; improved well being, social relations and mental and physical health. Key Words: Older people, social isolation, social suppor

What is nursing care and who owns it?

The Francis report into the failings at Mid Staffordshire, out last week, demands practical responses from all health professions if they are not to be repeated in other NHS providers. This article explores why nurses need to re-examine their philosophy of care and move beyond the notion of patient-centred care to develop a compassionate, humanising approach