Please keep checking back for upcoming Schwartz Rounds dates.
What’s a Schwartz Round?
- Schwartz Rounds (also known as Schwartz Centre Rounds) provide a forum where staff come together as a group to discuss the personal, emotional and social impact of working in healthcare
- A few people prepare a story they would like to tell to start off with, then the group reflects and shares experiences together
- You can talk as much or as little as you would like when taking part in a round
- The rounds are a confidential space in which patient and staff identities are protected
- You gain CPD points for attending
What happens at Schwartz Round?
- Rounds take place once a month for an hour at a time
- There will usually be a pre-selected panel of between two and four staff who have volunteered to share their experiences of working in healthcare. Each Round has a specific theme, which will link these stories together. All staffs, clinical and non-clinical, are invited to come and listen to the stories of their colleagues. The remainder of the hour features trained facilitators leading an open discussion. They do this by asking participants to share their thoughts and reflections on the stories. The key skill is for the facilitators to steer the discussion in such a way that it remains reflective and does not become a space to solve problems
- You can talk and share as much or as little as you would like when taking part in a round. All contributions are of equal value, including your presence at the round
Why attend a Schwartz Round?
- Rounds can help staff feel more supported in their jobs, allowing them the time and space to reflect on their roles. Attendance at Schwartz Rounds has been shown to have a positive impact on the psychological wellbeing of staff; those who attend rounds feel less stressed and isolated, with increased insight and appreciation for each other’s roles. Rounds can help to reduce hierarchies between staff and to focus attention on the relational aspects of care leading to improvements for staff and their colleagues. It has also been shown that when staff feel supported at work they are better able to provide compassionate care to their patients
- Attendance at a round contributes to one internal CPD point and staff will receive a certificate for their attendance
Got a story to tell?
Interested in getting involved? For more information or to share your ideas, please contact our team at [email protected].
Point of Care Foundation
The Point of Care Foundation is an independent charity which licence the rounds.