Edinburgh Napier University

  • The evidence presented here relates to four research studies conducted in relation to workforce resilience, burnout and support around death and dying in the care home sector.
• While there are a wealth of resources to support care home staff well-being online, their use by, and usefulness to, front-line care workers is limited. Self-care and psychological well-being need to be incorporated into practice-based learning.
• In particular, practice-based learning in relation to palliative and end of life care and death and dying which incorporates self-care and psychological well-being could support long-term resilience in the care home sector.
• Embedding monthly online Supportive Conversations and Reflections about death and dying, delivered by palliative care specialists, is a mechanism for incorporating palliative and end of life education and support for care home staff, particularly front-line care workers.
• Long-term resilience of the care home sector requires career pathways and professional development opportunities for front-line care workers and nurses to develop as leaders in the social care sector, beginning with pre-registration nursing curricula and ongoing continuing professional development opportunities.