Wellbeing scenarios Sally

45, Advanced Nurse Practitioner

What happened?

Sally was involved in a Serious Incident Requiring Investigation (SIRI).

Sally was told it was confidential. She didn’t know with whom she was allowed to share information about the investigation.
As a result, Sally only shared details with her husband, not her colleagues.
Sally felt isolated and in low mood.
She saw an email from the PCC Psychologist offering one-to-one meetings.
Sally met with the Psychologist but was still unsure how much she was able to say.
The Psychologist told Sally that the session was confidential, the Psychologist would simply listen to her without judgement and help her process her feelings and make sense of the incident.

Sally talked through her experience of the incident with the Psychologist and how it had made her feel.
The investigation went on for 6 months, during which time Sally received sporadic emails about how it was progressing.
Sally became highly anxious and avoided her emails.
Sally continued working during the investigation as an ANP, but decision making was challenging because she’d lost her confidence.
At the end of the investigation, Sally felt unsure about how it had affected her.

Clear and transparent processes of investigation need to be available to all staff so they know what to expect if they were required to go through an investigation.
We need to open up the conversation and support staff to seek help when going through an investigation.
The process of investigation and the feelings of fear and uncertainty need to be acknowledged and normalised. Staff need a psychologically safe environment in which to discuss and deal with a serious investigation like this.
Staff need to know who they are able to talk to about their experience of the investigation perhaps with a Peer Supporter, the Wellbeing Lead, their line manager, or the Psychologist. An explicit choice of support needs to be identified for confidential and supportive discussions.