In a healthcare setting where every interaction matters, practice managers play a vital role in shaping not just how a practice runs – but how it feels, especially during life’s most challenging moments
One of the most rewarding aspects of working in a healthcare setting is the sense of community it builds. It’s not just about running a practice efficiently; it’s about being part of people’s lives. How many times have you seen a familiar patient return after treatment with renewed sparkle in their eyes? Or watched as a colleague reaches a personal milestone? You’re there in the background for the everyday successes, the reassurance offered at reception, the support provided during a difficult conversation.
As a practice manager, your role is woven into the fabric of both the practice and the wider community. And with that comes a quiet responsibility – being present during the harder moments. The serious diagnoses, the losses, the burnout, the days when stress or grief ripple through your staff or patients. You may not have a clinical role, but you’re often one of the first people staff or patients encounter in moments of vulnerability. You help set the tone for how your practice responds to distress, and that matters more than you might think.
When Trauma Enters the Practice
In any healthcare setting, trauma can arrive unexpectedly or grow gradually, affecting staff wellbeing, patient experience, or the culture of the team. Sometimes it’s a tragic patient outcome. Other times, it’s a colleague struggling with personal loss or stress. As a non-clinical leader, you may feel unsure of how to help or worry about overstepping. But your presence, structure, and care can make a vital difference. This is where a framework like PIES – Psychologically Informed Environments – can offer useful guidance.
The PIES Principle
Originally developed in the military, PIES is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and there’s no standard template – but it’s a useful framework that can help shape the way we support those around us, especially in the face of trauma or distress.
Support
Support is about more than just “being there.” It means offering help that is consistent, respectful, and empowering. Ask yourself: does the support you give – whether to staff, patients, or families – foster autonomy, or create dependency? Can someone come to you and feel heard, rather than redirected? In a psychologically informed practice, support is flexible. It recognises that different people need different things at different times and that being steady, kind and practical often goes further than trying to fix everything.
Framework
Every practice benefits from a clear framework for handling challenging moments. This doesn’t mean having a clinical protocol, it means having a transparent, supportive structure that helps people know where to turn. Who can team members talk to if they’re overwhelmed? What happens if a distressed patient needs more support than you can offer? Having a known process provides safety through predictability. It gives your team the reassurance that they’re not alone, and that the practice is prepared to respond thoughtfully.
Spaces
Physical and emotional environments matter. Are there calm, private places in your practice where a difficult conversation can happen without interruption? Is there somewhere staff can decompress during a particularly tough day? Are public-facing areas designed to reduce stress and enhance comfort? The way a space is arranged can influence how people feel. A psychologically informed environment takes this into account, creating settings that support wellbeing.
Pathways
You don’t have to solve everything yourself. In fact, one of the most valuable roles you can play is knowing where to direct someone when they need more than you can give. This might mean having trusted mental health services to recommend, links with local bereavement support, or an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) for staff. Being ready with those options builds confidence and shows that you take distress seriously, even if you’re not the one providing the direct care.
You don’t need to have a medical qualification to shape the emotional wellbeing of your practice. Creating a Psychologically Informed Environment is not about perfection – it’s about intention. It’s about showing up with awareness, leading with care and putting small structures in place that make people feel safer and more supported.
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