{
  "abstract": "Background Compassion fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and communication challenges are common in palliative care, impacting staff wellbeing and patient outcomes (Bamforth, Rae, Maben, et al. Int J Nurs Stud Adv. 2023;5:100148; Hockley. Int J Older People Nurs. 2014;9(2):118–30; Knott, Dambrino, Busby, et al. J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2023;25(2):90–6). While informal peer support and clinical supervision are routinely offered, these may not fully address the emotional demands on hospice staff. Evidence suggests that regular debriefs can improve resilience, communication, and team cohesion (Bamforth, Rae, Maben, et al. Int J Nurs Stud Adv. 2023 Aug 1;5:100148; Hockley. Int J Older People Nurs. 2014;9(2):118–30; Knott, Dambrino, Busby, et al. J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2023;25(2):90–6; Center to Advance Palliative Care. Palliative care leadership centers. CAPC. [internet]. 2025). In response to organisational changes and financial pressures, our inpatient unit recognised the need for accessible wellbeing debriefs. Facilitated by trusted peers, the sessions were designed to be flexible, offering support to all levels of clinical and non-clinical staff.Aims This quality improvement initiative aimed to introduce wellbeing debriefs in order to reduce compassion fatigue, enhance emotional wellbeing, and strengthen communication across the whole multi-disciplinary team.Methods The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) debrief framework was adapted into a 90-minute training programme led by a hospice clinical supervisor. Training covered confidentiality, boundaries, facilitation skills, and group management. Senior inpatient unit nursing staff were trained to lead 30-minute, twice-weekly debriefs, scheduled to support shift patterns with additional ad hoc sessions as needed. Debriefs were thematically structured to encourage emotional expression, reflect on clinical experiences, and discuss complex organisational challenges involving all teams. Sessions were promoted via noticeboards and team briefings. The majority of staff, on shift, attended each session.Results Initial feedback from informal post-session discussions indicated improved peer support, and stronger team cohesion. Enhanced multi-disciplinary team communication was reported, and a daily medical huddle was introduced as a direct result. Formal evaluation is underway.Conclusion Our peer-led wellbeing debriefs, grounded in the CAPC model, demonstrate potential to enhance multi-disciplinary team communication and staff wellbeing within our inpatient unit. To ensure long-term integration and effectiveness, continued leadership support and formal evaluation will be essential for embedding this intervention into routine practice and assessing its sustained impact.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Birmingham Hospice, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Joanna Ferro"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Birmingham Hospice, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Beth Jones"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Birmingham Hospice, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Alison Breakwell"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Birmingham Hospice, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Alex Trainor"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Birmingham Hospice, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Elizabeth Greenaway"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Birmingham Hospice, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Amy Clark"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P-223 Peer-led wellbeing debriefs in a hospice inpatient unit: enhancing communication and mitigating compassion fatigue",
  "uid": "dcf414da-42cb-5440-9d68-c0a6e76343eb"
}