Conversation and Action Guide to Support Staff Well-Being and Joy in Work During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Note: Portuguese translation of this tool also available for download.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, health care leaders sought ways to support staff experiencing anxiety, stress, and intense demands.

This guide — which builds on the IHI Framework for Improving Joy in Work — includes actionable ideas that leaders can quickly test during the coronavirus response and beyond, and which can build the longer-term foundation to sustain joy in work for the health care workforce.

This resource is intended to help leaders guide conversations with colleagues to:

• Provide and elicit needed information and problem-solving to ensure staff well-being and the best care possible
• Use this time during the COVID-19 pandemic to break unnecessary rules and build more robust systems
• Tap into creative solutions identified by staff for both immediate needs and in an ongoing way
• Promote joy in work through healthy relationships and environments that support teams and personal growth while diminishing, as much as possible, current and future stress

In using this guide, leaders are encouraged to use any opportunity to frequently communicate with team members — using brief in-person huddles, electronic methods, or other approaches — to promote staff well-being.