Michael Sarah, Vrklevski Lila Petar, Innes Lesley, Hallahan Andrew, Lyons Blaise, Campbell Sharon, Slade Graeme, Richards Bethan
Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; and Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Australian Catholic University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; University of Wollongong, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; and University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Australas Psychiatry. 2025 Apr;33(2):259-264. doi: 10.1177/10398562241301944. Epub 2024 Nov 25.
ObjectivesIn line with the widespread acknowledgement of the harms which can be caused to healthcare staff through their role in adverse events and unexpected patient outcomes, so is there now acceptance of the role of staff peer support programs to support these 'second victims' in a non-clinical way. Here, we share reproduceable steps that any service might take in creating their own staff peer support program.MethodsWe outline the establishment of a program in a NSW health-service encompassing several hospitals and services, from initiation of the program, customising it to our local needs, engaging the broader health service, launching the program, and the ongoing maintenance required.ResultsDedicated resourcing and strong executive support have been essential to launch and maintain the program. Reaching all staff in a large organisation and building trust in the program's confidentiality have been the main challenges.ConclusionsStaff peer support programs, whilst early in their evidence, offer a way to provide practical, non-clinical support to staff harmed through adverse events in healthcare. Here, we offer methodology and learnings for all services to consider when implementing a localised program.
