ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Working in paediatric critical care (PCC) can be hugely rewarding and stimulating but can also be challenging. Staff working in PCC can experience burnout, moral distress, and other psychological difficulties. The current research has focused on primarily medical and nursing staff working PCC. There has been a paucity of research conducted on the wellbeing of allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) working in PCC. The aim of this study was to explore healthcare professionals', including AHP working in PCC experiences of wellbeing. METHOD(S): An exploratory qualitative design using interpretative phenomenological analysis visual enquiry was used to understand nurse and AHP experiences of wellbeing. All were required to be currently working in PCC within the UK. Interviews were conducted by a researcher independent to healthcare between April to June 2021. RESULT(S): Eight individuals participated in this study. The occupations of the participants included but was not limited to, nurses, clinical psychologists, and occupational therapists. The participants ranged in age from 27 to 62. Within this data four key themes were present;1) Understanding of what wellbeing means to them 2) Staff relationships 3) Consequences of COVID 19 and 4) Maintaining a balance between work and life outside work. CONCLUSION(S): This study provides unique insight into how nurses and AHPs working in PCC define wellbeing. Furthermore, this study highlights the challenges that relationships with colleagues, lack of autonomy and trying to achieve a balance between work life and home life has on an individual's wellbeing.