From coping to building nurse manager resilience in rural workplaces in western Canada

Abstract

Aim To investigate the role stressors, and how coping strategies cultivated nurse managers’ resilience in rural workplaces. Background A stressful workplace can impair the mental and physical health of nurse managers leading to poor performance. Building and sustaining manager resilience in complex and stressful practice environments is necessary to attract and maintain competent and skilled managers. Method In this qualitative exploratory inquiry, a purposive sampling method was used to recruit 16 nurse managers in rural western Canada. Results Coping strategies fostered manager's resilience that made their work meaningful, and included putting out fires, psychologically reframing a situation, serving others and receiving support. Conclusions Managers brought expertise, knowledge and skill to make their work meaningful and central to ongoing health service delivery in these rural communities. Nurse manager resilience can be strengthened by using evidence‐based strategies in an increasingly complex health care environment. Implications for Nursing Management Managers need to be supported and encouraged to develop awareness of their own protective factors as they cope with challenging situations. Building resilience through formal education, social support and meaningful recognition is an important focus for nurse leaders in establishing a healthy work environment and maintaining a stable nursing workforce.

Resilience Capability and Capacity in Unexpected Crises: Experiences and Lessons Learned in a Healthcare Organisation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In line with previous scholars (e.g., [15]), we, therefore, argue that focus should be on the collective responsibility for building a resilient culture rather than on individual leadership. Among our fndings' practical implications for nursing management is the call for formal training to achieve resilience among staf [16,34].…”

“…Several studies have focused on how nurse leaders can support nurse staf and encourage a supportive work environment that mitigates stress and experiences of insecurity and anxiety at work [9,13,14]. Other studies have highlighted the role of nurse managers in creating such environments and how the responsibility it entails can lead to stress and burnout [15,16]. Against this background, these studies stress the importance of research focusing nurse managers' well-being and resilience.…”

“…Most studies on resilience among frst-line healthcare environments during COVID-19 apply an individual perspective, focusing on individual traits and leadership styles [12,30,31]. Scholars, however, have begun to challenge the focus on resilience as an individual ability and responsibility, arguing for a view of it as a joint responsibility of the individual and the organisation [16].…”