Project description
Protecting the health of healthcare workers
Doctors and nurses are not immune to burnout, which is a combination of exhaustion, cynicism and perceived inefficacy resulting from long-term job stress. In fact, workers in the healthcare sector experience burnout much more frequently than workers in other professions. The EU-funded Magnet4Europe project will develop an evidence-based model for the organisational redesign of clinical work environments in order to enhance workers’ wellbeing, retention, productivity and patient outcomes. Specifically, it will use a mixed-method design to determine direct and indirect individual and collective health outcomes and cost effectiveness. The aim is to improve mental health, reduce sickness absence and positively impact productivity and economic results through redesigned clinical work environments that promote mental health.
Objective
Over 23 million Europeans work in health care. Burnout, anxiety, sleep disorders, depression, and associated stigma are more common among health care workers, and exact a huge toll on individuals and families, particularly on women who are the majority of health care workers, and on society by erosion of productivity and safety of health services. Magnet4Europe transfers, modifies, scales up, and evaluates an evidence-based model of organizational redesign of clinical work environments to enhance workers’ wellbeing, retention, productivity, and patient outcomes. The Magnet model of workplace redesign has been adopted by 490 hospitals in 6 countries but has been slow to take root in Europe despite substantial interest as evidenced by letters from 84 European hospitals in 5 countries (Belgium, England, Germany, Ireland, Sweden) to participate in Magnet4Europe. Proof of concept of transferability of Magnet to differently organized and financed health care systems was shown in 2 pilots. Magnet4Europe modifies the Magnet model with stakeholder co-designed adaptations for Europe, one-to-one twinning with Magnet recognized hospitals, a learning collaborative including policymakers to promote success and sustainability, and a critical mass of institutions promoting innovation, attracting public interest, and fostering replication. Magnet4Europe uses a mixed method design to determine direct and indirect individual and collective health outcomes and cost effectiveness; it will improve mental health, reduce sickness absence, positively impact productivity and economic results by redesigned clinical work environments that promote mental health. The project will inform workplace mental health policies based on evidence with applicability beyond health care. Coordination is by experienced partners that implemented the FP7-RN4CAST project in 12 EU countries producing 70+ scientific papers, influencing EU and national policies to improve nurse retention and patient outcomes.
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
3000 Leuven
Belgium