Resilience and Change

(must use in text citations)

then 75 word response to this classmate's post

Resilience among healthcare workers is increasingly recognized as an essential component to the ability to continue in a healthcare career. Resilience could be considered the opposite reaction to burnout which is all too common in our field. The stressors in our field that contribute to burnout have all been exponentially compounded over the last few years with the onset of Covid 19 and its effects not just on healthcare but on personal lives and society at large. There have been many recent studies regarding healthcare worker burnout and resilience and its relation to Covid 19. Commonly recognized stressors leading to burnout are lack of staffing, feeling unsupported at work, long hours, emotional stress from exposure to patient suffering and death, and patient family interactions. Some steps to promote resilience from an organizational standpoint are creating an environment of trust and safety, providing support, encouraging communication and nurse empowerment (Udod, et al., 2021). On a more individual level, research has shown that resilience education has positive effects. Some effective steps for building resilience include journaling events or emotions, meditation, engaging in fulfilling physical activities such as yoga or hiking, and making time for hobbies outside of work (Koprowski, et al., 2021). Some steps I have utilized that I found helpful are spending time outdoors, taking screen breaks, prayer and reading. This new focus on resilience and its effect in healthcare is an example of change in perspective which is leading to change in practices. As noted this week's lesson, change is both inevitable and necessary and openness and willingness to change are needed for improvement in practice (Chamberlain University, 2021). As nurses we should be willing to take the lead in implementing change and practice where evidence based research indicates the implementation of a new policy. Introducing change can be a challenge as most of us find it difficult to change habits. Knowing this, communication regarding a new practice should be respectful and understanding, acknowledging up front that change can be difficult and it can take time. I would take a slightly different approach to nursing peers as opposed to patients. I would explain the evidence and justification surrounding the practice change to both. For my peers I would detail how this will affect us a unit, who will be responsible for the change, how we will track compliance, resources available for education, training, and assistance. For patients I would explain how this change relates to their care individually, how it positively affects them, what part and responsibility they share for this change and any educational materials to help them understand the practice. Koprowski, K., Meyer, D., Stanfill, T., & Tivis, L. J. (2021). Cultivating joy: Improving nurse resilience through use of a practice playbook. Applied Nursing Research, 62, 151484–151484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2021.151484Links to an external site. Udod, S., MacPhee, M., & Baxter, P. (2021). Rethinking Resilience: Nurses and Nurse Leaders Emerging From the Post–COVID-19 Environment. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 51(11), 537–540. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000001060Links to an external site. Chamberlain University. (2022). Week 3 Lesson: Foundational Concepts