Creating learning environments for compassionate care (CLECC): a cultural change programme to improve workplace wellbeing for nursing teams

Unease about the well-being of the UK’s health and social care workforce is not new, but a backdrop of significant industrial unrest - in part triggered by the additional stressors of the Covid-19 pandemic has brought these concerns to the fore. Nurses in particular are at high risk with a suicide rate 23% higher than the national average, and with the highest levels of occupational stress and resulting distress from infectious disease outbreaks such as Covid-19. This study shows that to increase productivity and aid nurse retention national and local leadership must prioritise nursing staff support and well-being in policy and practice. By valuing and supporting compassion as a vital dimension of care this project offers three recommendations for action.