Now more than ever, kindness is needed in the healthcare system. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has continually brought new anxiety, stress and challenges to our health care workers. They remain at the frontline in emergency departments, wards and intensive care units, risking their own health and the health of their families.
With all this trauma, disruption and hardship comes a major opportunity that should not be missed; the opportunity to embed kindness into the Australian health care system.
It has been known for many years that there is an ongoing worldwide crisis in the culture of both the health and aged care sectors. Bullying, stress, busyness, burnout, disengagement and loss of joy in the work is impacting the healthcare workforce.
The evidence is clear - there is a direct relationship between staff wellbeing and patient experience, and as a result of these issues, the safety and quality of care delivered, is also in jeopardy.
The Gathering of Kindness is a growing social movement bringing together the health care workforce, academics, researchers, authors, patients, families and people from all walks of life.
Gathering of Kindness events are hosted throughout the year with a special focus around World Kindness Day and Gathering of Kindness International events have taken place in Ireland and the USA.
A week of events will be held around Australia from Tuesday 9 to World Kindness Day Saturday 13 November.
The Gathering of Kindness invites everyone to envisage a kind health system – a system that is safer and more satisfying for patients, residents, families and staff. The robust conversations sparked at these events inspire individuals to take action and improve the culture in their sphere of influence.
Thousands of people across Australia and around the world have now been involved in the Gathering of Kindness events, spearheaded by the Hush Foundation. The Hush Foundation has a 20-year history of transforming healthcare culture through the Arts - with music, theatre and especially with kindness.
“Kindness does three vital things. Kindness makes best use of your team, kindness brings the safest environment and kindness creates unexpected wonderful moments of joy,” says Professor Catherine Crock AM, Professor, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, and Chair of the Hush Foundation.
Health and aged care organisations can join in the Hush Gathering of Kindness events and are invited to host their own.
Hush Foundation provides many creative ways to engage participants - music especially composed to calm healthcare environments, theatrical plays, expert speaking panels, narrative workshop training, dance and storytelling workshops, and doctor-wellbeing and self-care seminars.
This approach to reimagining healthcare is reinvigorating professionals, reconnecting them with the purpose of their work, and building safer, kinder and more supportive environments for staff, patients and their families. Which is what the world needs right now.
With Covid-19 changing event plans across the globe, the Gathering of Kindness will be holding events online.
For the full program, please visit www.gatheringofkindness.org
About the Hush Foundation
The Hush Foundation was established in 2000 by highly awarded and renowned physician, Dr. Catherine Crock AM, in response to her work with children undergoing painful medical procedures at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
Working to improve pain relief for these young patients, Dr. Crock sought to reduce the stress and anxiety felt by patients, families and staff, and has done so through introducing the arts and embedding kindness into healthcare.
Hush has now produced 18 Hush Music albums, three theatrical plays about health care, a children’s Treasure Book and kindness anthology, numerous concerts and the annual Gathering of Kindness event - all aimed at improving the healthcare environment for every Australian.
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