This paper aims to share a program that took a whole-hospital approach in considering the wellbeing of staff at a time of recovery following the 2019–2020 bushfires. The SEED Program enlisted a person-centred participatory methodology that was embedded within a transformational learning approach. This methodology included collaboration, authentic participation, critical reflection, critical dialogue and listening where the staff voice was the driving factor in the development of strategies for recovery. The SEED Program resulted in the development of five initiatives that included four strategies and a celebration event where staff celebrated their New Year’s Eve in February 2020. The four strategies included the establishment of a quiet room, coffee buddies, Wellness Warriors and 24/7 Wellness. The outcomes from the SEED Program resulted in the development of a more person-centred culture and transformation of staff perspectives in how they understood their role in their learning and learning of others in recovery and support at a time of crisis. The key learnings were the effect of authentic collaboration, the benefit from enabling authentic leadership at all levels within a hospital, and the power of a staff connection to the ‘CORE’ values of the hospital and Local Health District. In conclusion, the staff involved hold the hope that others may benefit from their experience of transformational learning in creating more person-centred workplace cultures while supporting each other to move forward during a crisis. The limitation of the SEED Program was that it was a bespoke practice innovation designed in the moment, responding to an identified need for the staff following a crisis in the local community rather than a formal research approach to meeting the needs of this group of staff.

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Workplace wellness has gained new meaning and significance in the healthcare workforce in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers across the world have carried the burden of responding to the public health crisis by having to work under new pressures and constantly changing environments, take on additional shifts, risk their own health and lives, and cope with the ongoing psychological and emotional strain. The purpose of this paper is to articulate a workplace wellness model applied across hospitals in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, a regional area in New South Wales, Australia. The description of the development, components, and lessons learned from the SEED Wellness Model illustrates one possible solution about how to provide better care for the staff thus not only preventing staff burnout and turnover, but also creating lasting organizational benefits. The detailed model description can assist in developing a larger and more rigorous evidence-base to improve staff wellness in healthcare settings, both within Australia and internationally.