Hand-n-hand peer facilitator training workshop.

Background: Healthcare workers experience burnout, psychological distress and suicide at higher rates than the general population. The stressors inherent to these professions have been magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, a group of doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners developed Hand-n-Hand Peer Support Inc. (Helping Australian and New Zealand Nurses and Doctors) in the early months of 2020. Objective(s): To provide peer support to colleagues in a pre-clinical setting and aims to reduce the rates of distress and improve the well-being of its participants. In addition, Hand-n-Hand aims to provide effective peer support training to facilitators to ensure healthcare workers are appropriately supported. Method(s): Hand-n-Hand was initially piloted on social media before being converted to a peer support model that connects facilitators with peers who had requested support, either in small groups or individually. Facilitators providing peer support may undertake training to become an accredited peer supporter through Hand-n-Hand. Finding(s): Uptake of peer support among healthcare workers has been consistent since Hand-n-Hand was piloted in March 2020. The initial social media launch gained more than 400 participants in the first 24 hours and Hand-n-Hand has continued to receive a steady influx of healthcare workers requesting peer support. Peer support was initially provided to healthcare workers in Australia and New Zealand. More recently, Hand-n-Hand has expanded to provide peer support training to healthcare workers in developing countries with a large COVID-19 burden. There are minimal sources of help for healthcare workers in these areas and the provision of peer-to-peer support is a cost-effective way to fill this gap. Feedback for Hand-n-Hand's work has been overwhelmingly positive, and there is large potential in the peer support space. Conclusion(s): There is a clear need and demand for peer support among healthcare workers both in re