Schwartz Rounds: Someone I will never forget

What are Schwartz Rounds?

Schwartz Rounds provide a confidential, interprofessional forum to support health and social care staff. Running in higher education institutions (HEIs), they help to support students whilst in training. They provide a structured space for students to come together to discuss the emotional aspects of their work and support their capacity to deliver compassionate care. The Rounds help to normalise the strong emotions that arise from clinical work during training, as well as enable students to have greater insight, compassion for and appreciation of the roles and work of other healthcare professionals. At St George’s all students are welcome at Schwartz Rounds, whether in a clinical or science based programme.

Every round is based on a different topic, for example:

• “In at the deep end”
• “We all make mistakes”
• “A patient I’ll never forget”
• “Gifts from patients”.

About our Schwartz Rounds event

Each round lasts 1 hour. The rounds are run in person and include the provision of food and refreshments.

The theme for the first event will be based on the theme someone I will never forget.

Two/three storytellers (students or staff) will share their experience for 5 minutes each. The trained facilitators will open the discussion to the audience for comments, reflections and to share their own emotional feelings and experiences linked to their professional setting. 

It is a safe, supportive, confidential and secure setting for discussion, normalising our emotions and feelings as humans.

Unlike other forums, Schwartz Rounds are  not to problem-solve or to think how things should have been done differently. The only aim is to reflect on what it feels like to work in the mix of stressful, rewarding, uncertain and challenging situations that students and staff find themselves in.

Benefits of Schwarz Rounds

Data from students attending Rounds in HEIs and published studies demonstrate several benefits: -

Students who regularly attend Schwartz Rounds:

• gain greater insight and appreciation for others’ roles.
• feel that they have more courage in their clinical work
• feel that the strong emotions arising from their clinical work are normalised (1).

A UK Evaluation of Schwartz Rounds found 90% of 5000 staff reported that they helped them to work with their colleagues better. 

Contact Details

If you have additional questions, please contact Julie Hendry, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Student Outcomes, or Evelyn Harwood, Deputy President of Welfare.