'Psychological safety – Not just a buzzword' is a presentation hosted by Dr Anna Clark (PhD), AMA Victoria's leadership educator and coach and Mardi O’Keefe, AMA Victoria Director of Professional Development and Careers. The presentation will be held as part of the AMA25 National Conference at the Hilton Adelaide on 1-3 August 2025.
The purpose of this session is to deepen knowledge and understanding of Psychological Safety and how it contributes to team collaboration and high-quality outcomes, and to learn the practical skills and behaviours for creating psychological safety in your teams and workplaces.
This presentation will focus on the how as well as the why. We’ll take a deep dive into what psychological safety is, why it matters, and explore practical ways — through actions and micro-behaviours — to ‘create it’ within your own team and context.
We’ll also look at how creating psychological safety links to managing psychosocial risk — a workplace health and safety concept now backed by legislation that requires employers to set clear expectations, policies and practices to minimise psychological harm.
Both psychological safety and psychosocial risk are gaining prominence in our sector. Each is important and play a key role in shaping a strong workplace culture.
What is psychological safety?
Psychological safety isn’t a trend. It’s a well-established concept with a strong evidence base, and it matters deeply in healthcare. It refers to the shared belief among team members that it’s safe to speak up, ask questions, raise concerns or admit mistakes—without fear of embarrassment or punishment. This belief directly shapes how people contribute and collaborate, particularly in complex, high-stakes environments like healthcare.
In a setting where collaboration underpins care, psychological safety makes it more likely that people will clarify information, share their knowledge and engage in the kind of open dialogue needed to make sound decisions. It supports the conditions for good care: discussion, feedback, reflection and learning.
Psychological safety is essential for complex care and effective teamwork.
What you'll learn from the session:
- Understand what psychological safety is and how supports team effectiveness and performance, especially in complex situations
- Understand what psychological safety looks like in terms of what people and teams say and do when psychological safety is present (and assess your current level of psychological safety in current teams)
- Learn practical skills and behavioural for creating and sustaining psychological safety in your teams (both for team members and leadership roles alike).