Strategies to Enhance the Resilience of Nurse Managers

Abstract

Nurse managers are often exposed to workplace stressors, thus it becomes necessary to enhance their resilience which will enable them to withstand workplace adversity. The purpose of the current study was to develop strategies that can enhance the resilience of nurse managers. A purposive sample of 49 nurse managers working in the general wards of 11 public hospitals in Botswana was undertaken. The study was done in two phases. Phase 1 of the study entailed the empirical phase that followed a concurrent mixed methods research (MMR) design, which included both quantitative and qualitative components in a single study at the same time. In Phase 2, the findings from the empirical phase, as well as the theoretical data, were utilised to develop a conceptual framework and strategies to enhance the resilience of nurse managers. The Kumpfer resilience model was used to guide the development of the conceptual framework, and a logic model further assisted with the development of strategies. The study identified the following main strategies that can enhance the resilience of nurse managers, namely: leadership development; building support systems; life skills development; and resource availability. The strategies should be utilised by nurse managers and senior management to enhance the resilience of nurse managers in order to facilitate the delivery of quality nursing services and patient care.

Leadership and Resilience: Where the Literature Stands

“…Scholars studying resilience among healthcare professionals and military recruits contextualize their studies as investigating resilience in high-stress occupations. Boitshwarelo et al (2020) used a mixed method design to study nurse managers; individuals with moderate to high resilience scores as measured by the Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale were then studied qualitatively. The study found that resilient nurse managers could: (a) uphold personal values, (b) employ life skills, (c) apply appropriate leadership skills, and (d) access social support (Boitshwarelo et al, 2020).…”

“…Boitshwarelo et al (2020) used a mixed method design to study nurse managers; individuals with moderate to high resilience scores as measured by the Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale were then studied qualitatively. The study found that resilient nurse managers could: (a) uphold personal values, (b) employ life skills, (c) apply appropriate leadership skills, and (d) access social support (Boitshwarelo et al, 2020). Ledford et al (2021) investigated the differences between resilience, hardiness, and grit among elite military personnel and developed a new, more parsimonious measure of resilience than the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.…”

Exploring presence practices: a study of unit managers in a selected Provincial Hospital in Free State Province

“…Interestingly, the unit manager's key role is to lead his or her subordinates in his or her perspective unit [17]. Therefore, a unit manager must be in possession of leadership skills, communication skills, and resilience in order to guide the team in the right direction [18]. Unit managers must be able to manage conflict situations and ensure team cohesion [19].…”

Exploring the associations between resilience and psychological well-being among South Africans during COVID-19

“…The power of positive psychology is its ability to apply the most successful aspects of individuals to their unique situations. With this in mind, recent advances in positive psychology have advanced studies on building resilience and promoting positive psychological functioning (Didkowsky and Ungar, 2016;Sandberg and Grant, 2017;Dubus, 2018;Gonzalez-Mendez et al, 2021;Boitshwarelo et al, 2022).…”