As a former nurse and decorated social scientist, Professor Jill Maben is perfectly suited to explore how supporting nurses’ wellbeing can impact caring for others. Her research program highlights the links between staff experiences of work and patient experiences of care. During her recent visit to Ŕ¦°óSMÉçÇř’s Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN) as a Scholar-in-Residence, she shared her strategies, experiences, and stories with the Ingram School of Nursing and clinical partners.
With her warmth and compassion, Professor Maben instantly drew everyone in. She delved into the intricate layers of stress, fatigue and burnout experienced by healthcare providers, sharing stories from her research projects. Drawing from her extensive research and personal experiences, she illuminated and articulated what many nurses often feel.
The Emotional Costs of Caring
Professor Maben’s public lecture entitled “The Emotional Costs of Caring: Shared Responsibility and Shared Solutions” examined the emotional costs of caring and what supports staff to care well. The public lecture attracted over 300 healthcare providers, educators, and students. She explored themes such as creating positive practice environments for healthcare workers and supporting staff in the work they do caring for patients. She shared stories of healthcare workers and their lived experiences of caring through the pandemic and strategies to support and enable staff to create healthy environments of care. Professor Maben also discussed Schwartz Rounds and how they are being implemented in the NHS to help staff come together and discuss the emotional aspects of their work.
Cultivating a Healthy Work Environment
During her time at ISoN, Professor Maben was able to meet and discuss pressing issues with student groups and leadership groups. She spent time discussing the overlooked emotional challenges that accompany the noble act of caring for others and techniques to lighten the load. She ended her time in Montreal with a fireside chat open to all faculty and staff where she discussed strategies to cultivate a healthy work environment in the university and clinical setting.
The SBNH Advisory Board regularly invites Scholar-in-Residences to ISoN to explore hot topics for clinicians, students, educators, and leaders. Professor Maben was invited in November 2023 to meet with various groups across educational and care settings, however some of these visits and her public lecture were postponed due to the strikes in hospitals
To learn more about Professor Maben's work:Â