Preventing professional burnout among healthcare workers in Ukraine: A lifeline amidst war

How a Ukrainian patient organisation is supporting 800 healthcare workers in five regions – a guest article by Oleksandra Balyasna, Head of “Ranni Ptashky” (“Early Birds Preemie Parent Association” )in Ukraine, EFCNI PAB Member, and GLANCE Advisory Board Member.

Healthcare workers are the backbone of any healthcare system, providing critical care, support, and treatment to thousands of patients daily. However, this profession is fraught with stress, emotional strain, and physical exhaustion, making healthcare workers particularly vulnerable to professional burnout. This phenomenon not only affects their well-being but also directly impacts the quality of care they provide to patients.

Project to support healthcare workers in Ukraine

In response to the increasing challenges faced by healthcare workers amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Early Birds NGO, in partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Midwives, initiated the project “Preventing Professional Burnout Among Healthcare Workers Supporting Pregnant Women and Families with Newborns”. This initiative is designed to provide psycho-social support to medical specialists working in perinatal centres and maternity hospitals, where stress levels are often extraordinarily high – especially on the frontlines, where shellings, electricity outages, lack of personnel are only some of the challenges.

The project aims to address the well-being of healthcare workers, with a specific focus on neonatal and obstetric wards, and enhance their qualifications while supporting pregnant women in these challenging times.

Creativity as a vital tool for recovery

The project started with the use of creativity as a tool for emotional and mental recovery. The project initiated psycho-social activities across 20 hospitals in five regions of Ukraine, where healthcare teams engaged in a variety of creative activities. These included making traditional ethnic elements, learning scrapbooking techniques, planting succulents, working with associative cards, and creating paintings. These creative outlets provided much-needed respite for healthcare workers, enabling them to disconnect from the constant pressures of their daily tasks, reflect on their emotional state, and regain their inner balance.

Why this project matters

Healthcare workers are often driven to put patients’ needs ahead of their own, which can result in emotional exhaustion. Professional burnout can negatively affect both their physical and mental health, further compromising the quality of care they provide. As a result, it is crucial for healthcare workers to understand the importance of self-care and emotional resilience in maintaining balance within their professional lives. As one project partner, the Head of the Ukrainian Association of Midwives, explains: “When we help midwives stabilise their emotional state and support their mental health, we create better conditions for both them and the families seeking help during the most critical moments of their lives.”

Project implementation: A structured approach to support

Regional representatives were integral to creating a safe environment for healthcare workers to focus on their emotions and explore new methods of self-expression. To extend the project’s impact, 1-2 representatives from each medical team were trained in the techniques introduced and encouraged to become trainers for their departments, hospitals, or communities. This “train-the-trainer” approach is designed to have a multiplying effect, making the programme more sustainable in the long term. Learning basic psychological support techniques benefits not only medical workers in maternity and neonatal wards but also equips them to support their colleagues, fostering a more sustainable and supportive work environment.

Collaboration with experts and partners

The successful implementation of this project was made with the support of expert trainers, Tatyana But and Yulia Kulyk, who developed specialised training programmes and collaborated with the Early Birds team for over five years. As Yulia Kulyk shares, “I want mental health to become a daily priority for everyone, just as important as caring for physical health.” Her sentiment reflects the project’s broader goal to normalise self-care as part of healthcare workers’ routine.

Next steps: Building long-term sustainability

In December 2024, a training session for trainers was held, gathering representatives from 20 hospitals for a three-day programme on burnout prevention, stress management, and basic psychological support. Moving forward, the project will focus on practical training sessions where each trained healthcare worker will organise workshops in their communities, expanding the reach of the programme. The ultimate goal is to train up to 800 healthcare workers in self-care practices, burnout prevention, and emotional resilience in 12 month.

A transformative approach to self-care

The most valuable aspect of this project is not only the provision of basic psychological support but also the promotion of self-care culture. Amid the ongoing crisis, self-care is an essential practice, alongside basic knowledge of burnout prevention and basic psychological help. By encouraging healthcare workers to prioritise their own well-being, the project seeks to create a lasting change in how self-care is perceived within the healthcare profession as well as improving the medical care for the patients.

Conclusion

The Preventing Professional Burnout Among Healthcare Workers Supporting Pregnant Women and Families with Newborns project is implemented by the Early Birds NGO in partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Midwives with support from USAID’s Public Health System Recovery and Resilience Activity led by Pact.

Together, we are fostering resilience and well-being in the healthcare workforce, ensuring better outcomes for both healthcare workers and the patients they serve.