Working in the intensive care unit (ICU) confronts every healthcare professional with patients suffering from disease and their relatives suffering from uncertainty, being torn between hope and loss. The professionals’ own role in the patients’ journey might also have challenges as professionals are human. Additionally, working within a team of different personalities, different competencies, and different specialties with constraints and demands, all contribute to a working environment that is prone to conflicts and disagreements. Evidently, this underscores the ICU as a stressful place threatening the wellbeing of the ICU professionals, e.g., nurse, doctor, supervisors and allied health professionals alike. 

If one wants to improve working conditions in ICU, it is not sufficient to only help those professionals perceived to be under too much stress. The majority of ‘healthy’ employees also need examples and advice to keep their energy balance healthy and to nourish their wellbeing. Stress reactions are the first indicators of an imbalance in physical or emotional (work) load and the individual’s ability to adapt to challenging situations. In the past, an abundance of research focused on the negative emotions related to work-related stress and burnout in ICU. However, an emphasis on positive emotions, takes an innovative approach to wellbeing that focuses on promoting people’s positive health assets. In relation to the proposed definition of health, represented as the ability to adapt and self-manage, focus has shifted towards employees adapting to their work environment. Positive occupational health psychology aims to understand and foster the factors that allow individuals and communities to flourish. It seems of utmost importance to focus research on the motivational process affecting personal health and successful working. In the end, to protect against occupational risks getting out of hand. 

Flourishing (or engaged) employees to believe in themselves, generate positive feedback, set higher goals, have values that match that of the organisation, and can maintain long-lasting personal health are all of vital importance. Individual positive and flourishing conditions are not only related to personal wellbeing but are also helpful to improve performance at work and team spirit. In addition, a healthy working environment helps individual employees to flourish; it’s a reciprocal relationship. Changing the wellbeing of ICU professionals also requires addressing organisational wellbeing. Taking time to refresh is a vital part of building personal resilience to cope with a challenging role and strive towards wellbeing at work. This means, being aware for small adaptations in daily practice and encompass self-care in personal life. Organisational strategies such as addressing leadership, intra-team conflicts and ethical issues in the ICU might have a positive influence on wellbeing at work as well.

This e-course helps you identify and explain stressors in the ICU environment, covers the theoretical background on work-related stress and wellbeing at work, provides insights into strategies to cope with personal stressors, and describes how to react with resilience. This e-course also supports you in understanding and addressing the challenges of your working environment in a proactive way by focusing on strengths, not on complaints. Just start your personal movement.