Effects of singing groups on staff well-being: a feasibility study
Intended for healthcare professionals
research    

Effects of singing groups on staff well-being: a feasibility study

Ann Skingley Principal research fellow, Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, England
Louise Ross Nurse practitioner (lead for site) for early pregnancy assessment, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, Kent, England

Why you should read this article:
  • » To understand the potential effects of singing groups on staff well-being in healthcare

  • » To ascertain the research procedures and quality of life measures that could be used to investigate the benefits of staff singing groups

  • » To identify the components of an effective intervention to support staff well-being, including suitable time, venue, intervention activity and recruitment

Aims To determine the feasibility of recruiting and retaining staff ‘singing for well-being’ groups over three months and the acceptability of the proposed intervention and data collection methods, and to explore the potential effects of singing groups on staff well-being.

Method This was a feasibility study that used a two-group wait-list crossover design. Standardised measures of well-being, engagement, burnout and organisational commitment were used, alongside participant feedback. Questionnaires were given to participants at baseline, three months and six months, with the mean group scores for the measures used calculated at each point.

Findings Participant recruitment did not meet the target set, and only half of the participants returned pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaires. Acceptability of the programme was high and, despite limited data, positive effects emerged in relation to emotional and work-related well-being. Participant comments about the singing programme and facilitator were universally favourable.

Conclusion This feasibility study suggests there may be several benefits of staff singing groups, in terms of improving the well-being of participants. However, proceeding to a full research trial would require additional time and resources to maximise recruitment.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2018.e11024

Citation

Skingley A, Ross L (2018) Effects of singing groups on staff well-being: a feasibility study. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2018.e11024

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

ann.skingley@canterbury.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Acknowledgements

The researchers would like to thank the League of Friends of Kent and Canterbury Hospital for part-funding the musician, and all the staff at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust who kindly gave their time to take part in the research

Published online: 29 May 2018

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