Experiences of deliberate practice orientated psychological skills training for cancer care staff: Barriers and facilitators to learning and implementation in practice.

This study explored participant-reported facilitators and barriers to learning and implementation from a 2-day training in psychological assessment and intervention skills for cancer staff, involving deliberate practice and supervision. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic analysis leading to four meta-themes: perceived practicality of training, impact of training: practice and its effects, implementation transfer processes and supervision engagement. Analysis identified a learning process to implementation: observation and practice of techniques during training facilitated participant learning; personal use and relevance of training content encouraged reflection, which enabled selection of appropriate tools for clinical practice; gains in commitment and confidence to use techniques supported participants to adapt clinical consultations, and supervision further facilitated implementation. Changing practice increased confidence, sense of achievement and engagement with participants' own wellbeing. Interactive training, deliberate practice and continuous learning were facilitators to implementation whilst time constraint and low confidence in using techniques in remote consultations were barriers.

Outcomes of psychological support skills training for cancer care staff: Skill acquisition, work engagement, mental wellbeing and burnout.

OBJECTIVE: Psychological support skills training has the potential to improve both the ability of cancer staff to help their patients, and staff wellbeing. However, few recent studies have assessed both these outcomes or incorporated current developments in psychological skills training, such as deliberate practice, which includes the use of iterative, corrective feedback to identify and improve individualised skill deficits. No studies have evaluated the contribution that psychological skills training could make to cancer care staff wellbeing and expertise in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate staff skill acquisition and work-related wellbeing following psychological support skills training that applied deliberate practice principles. METHOD: A 2-day training and monthly supervision was offered to 145 cancer care staff that focused on brief assessment and intervention skills for patients experiencing mental health problems after cancer diagnosis and treatment. Deliberate practice principles were used to focus training on skills practice and feedback, over technique description. Self-reported ability to perform key skills taught, staff mental wellbeing, work engagement, and burnout were assessed at baseline, 3-month and 8-month follow-up. RESULTS: Significant improvements in skills, mental wellbeing, burnout and work engagement were reported at 8-month follow-up. Full engagement in both training sessions was predicted by poorer baseline mental wellbeing, more positive evaluation of initial training, supervision attendance, and shorter follow-up. CONCLUSION: A 2-day psychological support skills training using deliberate practice principles may support improvement in staff skill, mental wellbeing, burnout and work engagement.

Brief training in psychological assessment and interventions skills for cancer care staff: a mixed methods evaluation of deliberate practice techniques.

OBJECTIVE: Unaddressed anxiety and depression is common among cancer patients and has significant adverse consequences. Cancer staff training is recommended for psychological assessment and interventions to address depression and anxiety, to increase access to psycho-social oncology care. However, psychological skills training has a poor track-record for improving clinical effectiveness. "Deliberate practice", receiving feedback on therapeutic micro-skills and rehearsing modifications, can enhance clinical effectiveness. This study applied deliberate practice to maximise benefits of brief psychological skills training for cancer care staff. METHODS: Seventeen one-day training workshops were provided to 263 cancer care staff, aiming to improve confidence in assessing anxiety and depression, and delivering problem-solving therapy. Training used deliberate practice methods at the expense of didactic lecturing. Staff confidence was assessed in key teaching domains using pre-post confidence ratings. Anonymous comments from 152 training attendees were examined using thematic analysis. RESULTS: One-day psychological skills training significantly improved cancer staff confidence in assessment of anxiety and depression, and delivery of brief psychological interventions. Thematic analysis indicated that focusing on practical skills was valued by participants and contributed to staff commitments to change practice. However, some participants felt the one-day training was over-filled and would be better delivered over more days. CONCLUSIONS: Similar results can be achieved by providing psychological skills training on a single-day, as compared to an established five-day programme, by abbreviating didactic teaching and focusing time on deliberate practice of skills. Training may increase the likelihood of changes in practice, but more training time may be required for maximum benefit.