Allied health leadership in New South Wales: a study of perceptions and priorities of allied health leaders

Bradd, Patricia; Travaglia, Joanne; Hayen, Andrew

doi:10.1071/ah16135

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Evidence suggests that the demanding nature of the healthcare environment creates a wide range of compounding issues for allied health managers to navigate. These issues can have a negative impact on job morale and increase burnout risk for allied health employees (Boyce and Jackway, 2016;Bradd et al, 2017;Hazelbaker, 2013). To help explain how morale is influenced, a social technical systems (STS) framework can be applied (Figure 1).…”

Section: Social Technical Systems Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allied health front-line manager perceptions of factors impacting workplace morale and burnout risk

Turato

Whiteoak

Oprescu

2022

JHOM

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PurposeThis exploratory case study investigated the factors impacting employee morale and burnout risk among allied health professionals operating within a large Australian public hospital. The study aimed to understand what factors may positively influence group morale and reduce burnout risk.Design/methodology/approachQualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 30 Allied Health Managers. A manual thematic analysis and confirmatory content analysis (viz., Leximancer) identified several prominent themes impacting morale and potential burnout risk.FindingsKey factors impacting allied health morale and contributing to burnout risk were captured in three main themes. The first included processes and relationships between people that were contributing to the culture negatively. The second identified the general lack of management training and limited capability of supervisors and leaders in human resource skills. The third theme identified change, high workloads and ineffective systems that were not supporting managers to be effective in their roles. This was also considered to be stifling internal innovation.Research limitations/implicationsThis case study took a top-down approach which may have provided a biased viewpoint from the managers perspective, rather than the perspective of all levels. The findings are within one context, hence there is a potential lack of generalisability. A final limitation is that this project collected and interpreted data through processes of social interaction and relied on the individual perception, skill and knowledge of the researchers, which may cause some uncertainty in the findings.Practical implicationsThese findings support prioritising the evidence-based development of leadership and management competencies that have a focus on human resource management in hospitals. The study findings support the adoption of the theoretical framework of a systems approach to leadership that encourages the concept of being a learning organisation that creates pod-synergy within teams to enhance healthy personal, organisational and clinical outcomes. Adopting an empathetic leadership style that seeks to understand and support staff could improve staff morale within public health organisations and prevent burnout risk. Training managers with the skills and abilities to support autonomy amongst employees will support employee motivation and satisfaction in the workplace.Social implicationsThe findings were discussed using a socio technical system thinking perspective. This involves understanding the people (both leaders and front-line workers) and the systems and how they interact to support positive workplace morale.Originality/valueLimited research has empirically explored from a socio-technical systems perspective how the systems and structures in healthcare organisations support allied health managers and employees in their role. Furthermore, the results provide new insights that encourage a more empathetic systems approach to leadership, one that supports social relationships and encourages pod-synergy amongst employees. Together these findings delivered strategies that can buffer against low morale and burnout risk among allied health care workers. This is an area that arguably has not yet been adequately addressed in allied health.

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Section: Social Technical Systems Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allied health front-line manager perceptions of factors impacting workplace morale and burnout risk

Turato

Whiteoak

Oprescu

2022

JHOM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…ALS are traditionally applied to corporate type leadership development activities by human resource or organisational development practitioners (O'Neil and Marsick, 2014). ALS are emerging as a valuable and cost effective strategy in public sector and healthcare environments to support leader development, for groups to work on presenting problems and as a method for creating an organisational learning culture (Bradd et al, 2018;Sharp, 2020;Volz-Peacock et al, 2016). The key components of ALS comprise:…”

Section: Leader Facilitation Capability In Healthcarementioning

confidence: 99%

Using an implementation science approach to build leader facilitation capability in healthcare: a novel approach for enhancing action learning set facilitation

Shoobridge

Schultz²,

Harvey

et al. 2021

JHOM

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PurposeThe study describes the implementation of a novel strategy, entitled the Action Learning Set Facilitation Model, to develop internal facilitation capability to lead change. The Model incorporated the Novice-Experienced-Expert pathway, a facilitation development approach underpinning the integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services Implementation Framework, with action learning methodology.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods descriptive approach reports the results of 22 interviews, 182 Action Learning Sets and 159 post program survey data sets to explore facilitator experiences, strengths and potential application of the Model.FindingsAt program completion, five novice (of 174) and one experienced (of 27) facilitator transitioned to the next facilitation level. The three groups of facilitators described positive change in confidence and facilitation skill, and experience of action learning sets. Inconsistencies between self-report competence and observed practice amongst novices was reported. Novices had decreasing exposure to the Model due to factors related to ongoing organisational change. Internal facilitators were considered trusted and credible facilitators.Research limitations/implicationsThere are practical and resource implications in investing in internal facilitation capability, noting proposed and real benefits of similar development programs may be compromised during, or as a consequence of organisational change. Further research describing application of the facilitation model, strategies to enhance multisystemic support for programs and evaluation support are suggested.Practical implicationsThe Action Learning Set Facilitation Model offers promise in developing internal facilitation capability supporting change in organisations. Critical success factors include building broad scale internal capability, stable leadership and longitudinal support to embed practice.Originality/valueThis is the first application of the facilitation component of the integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services implementation framework embedded to action learning sets as an implementation science strategy for leader development supporting organisational change.

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“…Comparative to the wealth of literature on health leadership premised on medical and nursing professions, there is a paucity of literature on allied health leadership in contemporary healthcare. [18,[30][31][32][33][34] identifies a connection between successful health outcomes and effective allied health leadership. [4,18] According to Markham [2] allied health is 'front seat' to lead changes in health system using leadership, workforce model changes and a focus on prevention and early intervention.…”

Section: Current Statementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This in turn can lead to allied health professionals feeling disempowered in comparison to their colleagues. [30]…”

Section: Barriers and Enablersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Future of Allied Health leadership in New Zealand-Aotearoa: A literature review

George

Webster²

2021

APJHM

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Background: The allied heath, scientific and technical (allied health) workforce is the second largest workforce in New Zealand, providing diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative services. Increasingly consumers present with complex conditions requiring multiprofessional integrated services and a legacy of profession-focused leadership development is being challenged. [1] Future health and disability systems require leaders prepared to lead complex services, less focussed on their professional background and more on understanding their interprofessional services. [2, 3] The Allied health workforce is well placed to lead these systems, providing interprofessional experience, a biopsychosocial lens and collaborative models of practice. Aim: To provide an understanding of the literature and research available that addresses the leadership of healthcare services by allied health clinicians. Methodology: An initial database review was completed using a systematic approach, across CINAHL complete; EBSCO Business; Medline; and EBSCO Health databases from March 2020 to September 2020. An expanded search used Google Scholar and NZ, UK and Australian based government websites to access institutional documents, such as policies, reviews and reports. Results: The review identified an emerging pool of research on allied health leadership in Australia and the UK but a paucity of literature on allied health leadership in New Zealand. Three themes were identified and explored within the article: health leadership frameworks, current state and barriers and enablers identified. Conclusions: Literature advocates for a broader scope of clinicians into strategic leadership roles. Despite evidence of strategic allied health roles in New Zealand there remains a dearth of literature on allied health leadership. To foster and sustain the development of allied health leaders in New Zealand it is important to understand the enablers that impact this process.

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Allied health leadership in New South Wales: a study of perceptions and priorities of allied health leaders

Cited by 5 publications

References 12 publications

Allied health front-line manager perceptions of factors impacting workplace morale and burnout risk

Allied health front-line manager perceptions of factors impacting workplace morale and burnout risk

Using an implementation science approach to build leader facilitation capability in healthcare: a novel approach for enhancing action learning set facilitation

The Future of Allied Health leadership in New Zealand-Aotearoa: A literature review

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