Defining “belonging” in a pediatric health system

The development of the concept of “belonging” in the workplace is still in its early stages and requires to be clearly defined and operationalized. Different authors have interpreted the term “belonging” differently, and without a clear and standardized definition, research measuring the impact of belonging as a concept has seen limited success. However, belonging is increasingly recognized as essential to organizational culture to promote effective communication, safety, team member well-being, and engagement. Pediatric healthcare organizations are unique work environments that may necessitate a tailored definition of belonging. Within a Conservation of Resources Theory framework, this manuscript explores the evolution of belonging. It proposes an integrated definition tailored for pediatric healthcare settings with recommendations for practice and future research. The proposed definition of belonging for pediatric healthcare settings is where individuals within the team have a collective mindset and behaviors to help each other feel supported, valued, safe, supported, and accepted.