Safety Speakers with Laura Smith

In today’s complex healthcare landscape, safety isn’t just about protocols, it’s about people. From workplace violence to burnout, the risks caregivers face are both urgent and deeply human. In this conversation, we speak with Laura Smith, a seasoned healthcare professional whose firsthand experience has shaped her mission to elevate labor awareness, trauma-informed care, and systemic solutions that protect and empower the workforce.

To start, could you share a bit about your background in healthcare safety and what inspired you to focus on labor awareness as a key part of your mission?

I have worked in healthcare for 20 years as an Occupational Therapist and a Registered Mental Health Nurse. My career has been diverse, spanning acute hospitals—where I worked in neurological rehabilitation, orthopaedics, oncology, and elderly care—to mental health settings, including forensic services, inpatient rehabilitation, acute inpatient care, community crisis teams, and even the ambulance service. Each of these experiences has provided me with a wealth of clinical knowledge and skills, but my interest in healthcare safety truly deepened when I took on a patient safety role.

One issue that became particularly evident was the impact of violence and aggression—not only on staff morale, well-being, recruitment, and retention but also on the overall quality and safety of patient care. Reflecting on my own experiences with workplace violence, I felt a strong need to raise awareness and drive change to reduce such incidents.

A key turning point for me was working with a newly qualified nurse who had been assaulted at work. The way she was supported—or rather, the judgments she faced—was eye-opening. It reinforced my motivation to improve how we respond to these incidents, ensuring better support for staff while also recognising the emotional impact and effect on patients, who often feel shame and distress after such events.

Can you share an example of a successful labor awareness initiative or policy that significantly impacted the workforce?

One impactful labor awareness initiative has been the implementation of TRiM (Trauma Risk Management across an organisation.  Trauma—whether from workplace violence, patient interactions, or personal experiences—can significantly affect employee well-being, retention, and performance. Recognising this we integrated TRiM a form of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and trauma-informed policies to support staff effectively.

This included:

• Proactive staff education on trauma, stress responses, and coping strategies.
• The introduction of structured debriefing and risk assessment processes after critical incidents, ensuring immediate psychological support to reduce long-term distress.
• A formal policy outlining psychological safety measures, including options post-incident, confidential counselling access, and designated peer-support TRiM access.
• Leadership training to foster a supportive culture, enabling managers to recognise and respond to signs of trauma among their teams.

The impact was clear and staff reported feeling more supported and valued, and patient care improved as employees were better equipped to manage trauma exposure. 

Burnout is becoming increasingly common across various industries. How do you recognize the early signs of burnout?

Burnout is becoming increasingly prominent across many industries, especially in high-pressure feels like healthcare. Recognising burnout early is imperative as in healthcare it should not does not just affect individual staff members, it can impact patients safety and overall workplace morale. Recognising signs early allows for proactive measures, such as improving work-life balance, fostering peer support and ensuring access to mental health resources and workplace assistance programmes.

Indicators of burnout may include:

1. Chronic exhaustion: Feeling physically and emotionally drained even after rest. This can be especially common amongst healthcare workers due to long shifts, staff shortages  and high patient loads
2. Detachment or cynicism: Becoming disengaged from patient's, feeling emotionally numb or developing a negative outlook on work and the work environment
3. Reduced performance: This may include struggling to concentrate, making more mistakes, or feeling ineffective. These are key concerns in the healthcare setting where precision is essential.
4. Increased irritability: Feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or impatient which can impact interactions with both colleagues but also patients and their carers.
5. Physical symptoms: Frequent headaches, digestive issues or trouble sleeping which can be exacerbated by the demanding nature of the healthcare role.

How has the conversation around burnout evolved over the years, especially in light of recent global events like the pandemic?

I feel that before the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout was largely viewed as a personal issue— either a reflection on ones’ coping mechanisms or something individuals needed to manage through self-care, resilience training, or better work-life balance. In healthcare, it was acknowledged but not always addressed systematically, often seen as a challenge for individuals rather than a symptom of broader systemic problems.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought burnout into sharp focus, especially in healthcare. With extreme workloads, emotional exhaustion, and moral distress, burnout was no longer seen as just a personal challenge but a widespread issue. This led to:

• Increased recognition of burnout as an occupational hazard, particularly for frontline healthcare workers. This normalised discussions about burnout, where conversations have become more open across industries.
• More conversations around systemic change, such as staffing shortages, unrealistic workloads, and emotional toll. Some have introduced policies focusing on workload management, well-being, and flexible work arrangements.
• Greater emphasis on mental health support—organisations began providing more resources like employee assistance programmes, counselling and peer support. Healthcare organisations are increasingly prioritising environments where staff can speak up about burnout and their experiences without fear.
• Shift toward team-based resilience: There has been a paradigm shift- moving beyond individual responsibility to collective well-being through supportive leadership and peer networks.
• Focus on long-term workforce sustainability: Efforts to improve staffing levels, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance work-life balance for healthcare professionals are all being discussed to help reduce the impact of burnout on staff groups

The conversation around burnout has evolved from being a personal issue to a systemic concern requiring organisational and cultural change. The pandemic accelerated awareness and openness, especially in healthcare, where burnout is now recognised as a critical issue that affects patient safety, workforce retention, and overall well-being.

Could you provide guidance on resources or programs that companies can use to help employees who are dealing with mental health issues?

Many companies are recognising the importance of supporting employee mental health and are implementing various resources and programs. Here are some effective options:

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Confidential counselling and mental health support services for employees and their families. These typically include therapy sessions, legal and financial advice, and crisis support.

Mental Health Apps:  There are some helpful apps and platforms offering self-guided therapy, mindfulness exercises, and virtual counselling. Some good ones are:

• Best for Talk Therapy: BetterHelp
• Best for Depression: Talkspace
• Best for Mindfulness: Headspace
• Best for Kids: Breathe, Think, Do With Sesame
• Best for Addiction: I Am Sober
• Best for Better Sleep: Calm
• Best for Positive Thinking: Happify
• Best for Anxiety: Worry Watch

Mental Health Training for Managers & Staff to help them recognise signs of distress and support employees appropriately. This could involve Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Mind Share Partners' workplace mental health training.

Flexible Work Policies and Well-being Days:  Remote work options, mental health days, and flexible schedules to reduce burnout.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the most important steps we can take as a community to continue improving mental health and safety in the workplace?

Improving mental health and workplace safety is critical due to the high-pressure environments, emotional demands, and patient care responsibilities. I think there are a number of steps we can take but these are the most important to me:

1. Foster a Supportive Culture

• Normalise conversations about mental health to reduce stigma, especially among frontline workers. There is often an unspoken pressure to appear strong, resilient and able to cope amongst this group. Research shows nurses are less likely to seek mental health support due to fear of being perceived as weak or concerns about professional consequences.
• Encourage peer support programs where healthcare workers can share experiences and coping strategies without judgment.

2. Leadership Commitment

• Train healthcare leaders to recognise burnout and distress in their teams.
• Create a culture that prioritises staff well-being, within which employees feel psychologically safe to voice concerns without fear of retaliation.
• Promote “just culture” practices that support open discussions about safety and mental health without fear of judgment.

3. Strengthen Access to Support Services

• Expand Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) with confidential counselling tailored for healthcare workers.
• Provide debriefing and psychological support after critical incidents or adverse patient safety events.
• Ensure all staff receive conflict resolution or de-escalation training for handling aggressive patients or situations.

4. Improve Reporting and Learning from Safety Events

• Encourage open discussions about patient safety incidents without blame, using a just culture approach. This should also include discussions and reviews of incidents that were prevented or highlight good practice, where learning can be shared.

As this conversation reminds us, real safety in healthcare requires more than policies; it demands culture change, leadership accountability, and compassion at every level. From recognizing trauma to building trust in support systems, the path forward is one we must walk together, openly, consistently, and with the well-being of caregivers at the center.