Resource loss a significant issue for healthcare professionals: A case study of an Australian regional hospital

Healthcare professionals report poor overall well-being, with many citing mental health concerns and stress as contributing factors. Given that healthcare professionals are crucial to the sustainability of the health sector, examining the factors affecting their well-being at work is essential. This paper reports the findings of research conducted in an Australian regional public hospital, utilising the conservation of resources theory to examine the factors (similarities and differences) that influence the resource loss of healthcare professionals (nurses, medical professionals, and allied health professionals). Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 43 healthcare professionals of varying roles, and participant perspectives revealed two themes contributing to a resource-poor work environment: 'occupational demands and obstacles' and 'barriers to effective teams'. These challenges caused individual resource loss, and as stress arises from resource depletion, each turn of the stress spiral left the individuals and organization with fewer resources to counteract the loss, causing loss spirals to intensify in momentum and scale. The findings of this research emphasise the importance of executing a proactive approach to well-being initiative implementation to support resource investment and assist in creating a more nurturing healthcare work environment that fosters resource creation and sustenance for healthcare professionals.