Introduction
The medical field involves significant pressure and tension due to operational technicalities. Being a clinician eliminates the natural aspect of making mistakes, as some errors lead to the unforgiveness of self. Nonetheless, many nurses and doctors persevere and enjoy the situation. Concerns regarding the ability to endure in highly stressful settings are not new, with many past scholars terming those who withstand the pressure as invulnerable. Early counselors investigating young people’s ability to tolerate hardships replaced invulnerability with the term resilience, leading to numerous theories and investigations concerning the new term. Resilience is the force behind many people’s hard work and determination. The COVID-19 era particularly reiterates the need and role of resilience in the medical field. Accordingly, resilience centrality and significant newness call for the advancement of resilience-based interferences and the development of empirical studies investigating the outcomes of such mediations.
Resilience is a fundamental facet of nursing and medicine, where people face daily hardships. Cooper et al. (2020) define the term as the capability to rebound or cope productively in the face of substantial adversity. Resilience receives attention from multiple disciplines, including psychology, medicine, and sports. Despite such attention, significant misunderstanding exists concerning the term’s true meaning (Garcia-Dia et al., 2013). Consequently, a concept examination is essential to elucidate resilience’s defining features, antecedents, and significances (Cooper et al., 2020). Examining a concept, such as resilience, based on the concept analysis framework will help delineate the term according to its present-day conceptualizations, thus eliminating the confusion in meaning and application (Foley & Davis, 2017). They also mention that resilience was at first referred to as a personality feature, with many believing that specific people naturally exhibited invulnerability capacities (Garcia-Dia et al., 2013). However, such a mentality changed after the realization that the facet is an active, adaptable course. The new meaning of the concept implies the possibility of imparting resilience among individuals through resilience-based mediations, with empirical studies used to assess the interventions’ outcomes.
Concept analysis helps medics develop a contemporary operational and theoretical definition for the idea’s application in practice and research. According to Cooper et al. (2020), concepts are never static but change with time; thus, the essence is to acquire their new meanings and interpretations for application. Terms employed in different disciplines mainly require concept analysis to inform their applicability in emerging research areas. Such examination assumes different models based on an individual’s choice or specific discipline’s guidelines (Chinn et al., 2021). The present work thus applies the Walker and Avant technique to analyze resilience. Cooper et al. (2020) cheer the analysis model’s effectiveness based on ease of application and straightforwardness. The principal procedure in this scheme of concept analysis comprises the identification of all the idea’s uses, its characteristic attributes, precursors, and outcomes. Other elements of the model’s procedure include identifying model cases and supplementary cases exemplifying the various features of the concept.
Relevant Research
There are numerous research works covering the concept of resilience and its application in different disciplines. Part of the investigation targets the facet’s definition and the specific attributes relating to the conduct. Accordingly, this kind of research crops mainly from a mid-twentieth-century discovery that resilience or invulnerability, as commonly known in the past, was not absolute (Badu et al., 2020). The realization that even resilient persons exhibit different levels of bounciness triggered this change, forcing scholars to devise new techniques to investigate the matter. This line of investigation is responsible for the identification of the unique attributes of resilient people and the various antecedents leading to their development among humans. Resilience is a principal concept necessary for medical trainees. Accordingly, Cooper et al. (2020) suggest the utilization of concept analysis models to demystify different perceptions’ unique attributes and antecedents for their promotion among targeted groups. The intellectuals’ proposal informs the present work, which applies the Walker and Avant technique to scrutinize resilience based on data acquired from selected scientific investigations as below.
Article # 1
This article investigates the relationship between resilience, stress, and well-being among undergraduate nursing learners across. Li and Hasson (2020) reiterate the essence of resilience in the nursing profession by associating the facet with well-being. According to the researchers, depicting resilience as a student implied exhibiting the same as a registered nurse. The article further maintains that resilience nurtures psychological stability and well-being among nursing trainees. Li and Hasson (2020) argue that nursing is not a profession for the faint-hearted. Being called to serve during pandemics, working at night and for long hours at times, and spending time around the sick significantly drains the care delivery specialists. The matter causes substantial burnout and demotivation, with many nurses frequently incurring lasting psychological issues that impair their ability to offer quality services (Li & Hasson, 2020). Therefore, observation, focusing on nursing students’ resilience levels, and devising appropriate tactics to train those with low capacities to cope with hurting or difficult situations can improve the state.
Resilience is the ability to bounce back into stability after facing hardships. Accordingly, nursing students with moderate and high recoiling potential bear stress modestly, leading to their well-being and effective learning (Li & Hasson, 2020). However, students with low resilience have high-stress levels and have challenges learning. Unfortunately, most of the study population investigated by Li and Hasson (2020) displays reduced resilience degrees, thus highly stressed. The researchers warn that failing to intervene during the training process leaves the aspect unresolved, resulting in the licensure of highly non-resilient and stressed professional nurses. Li and Hasson (2020) recommend the introduction of operational nursing didactic policy changes to foster resilience-targeted training among medics as a solution to the increasing cases of depressed care professionals. Therefore, resilience is a highly significant attribute among nursing professionals. The aspect is not inborn or abstract as initially held, implying the potential to fix nurses’ well-being challenges through training on resilience attributes.
Article # 2
This work targets resilience enhancement among registered nurses serving before the COVID-19 pandemic’s occurrence. Kunzler et al. (2022) agree that scientific investigations concerning the concept remain scant despite the facet’s essence in the medical field. The researchers’ concerns coincide with Chinn et al.’s (2021) observation that working in hospitals or healthcare clinics as a nurse exposes one to unfathomable job-related stressors unique to the sector. The search for workforce effectiveness thus leads many individual facilities and nursing training institutions to implement resilience-boosting strategies in their training approaches (Walsh et al., 2020). The practice preceded the current pandemic, which multiplied the stressors’ degrees into catastrophic levels. According to Walsh et al. (2020), only nurses with established above-average resilience will cope with the present and future operations settings. Kunzler et al. (2022) define resilience as the nurses’ ability to maintain or fast recover mental fitness regardless of stressor exposure. The definition remains silent on whether resilience is an inborn or acquired trait, making the concept substantially intricate.
Resilience-fostering tactics adopted by various nursing organizations deliver significantly reliable results. However, Kunzler et al. (2022) maintain that the efficacy of such interventions in nurses is little known. Accordingly, it is such effectiveness that the researcher’s purpose is to determine by investigating several of the evidence-backed intervention techniques. Regrettably, Kunzler et al. (2022) note that almost all the implemented resilience-boosting intermediations prior to the pandemic caused effects that hardly lasted beyond three months after the mediations’ reception. Intervention subjects among the various tactics included mindfulness, relaxation, emotion regulation, psychoeducation, cognitive strategies, strengthening of internal and external resources, and problem-solving (Kunzler et al., 2022). Notably, Kunzler et al. (2022) show that most of the mediation strategies purported to deliver real results offer a short-term impact. Accordingly, the researchers’ work provides significant bases for intervention improvement. Agencies targeting to make their nurses invulnerable can combine Kunzler et al.’s (2022) reviewed intermediations with contemporary research-backed developments for increased effectiveness.
Article # 3
Stacey and Cook (2019) reiterate the role of concept analysis in nursing training towards the improvement of results acquired through various resilience-enhancement tactics. The researchers note that concept analysis’s involvement of various fundamental aspects, such as an aspect’s antecedents, defining attributes, and exemplary and contrary cases, helps students develop extensive comprehension of the matter. The approach thus helps nursing trainees to develop comprehensive real-life facts about the targeted concepts relative to when interventions exclude the analysis aspect. Similarly to Li and Hasson (2020) and Kunzler et al. (2022), Stacey and Cook (2019) agree that resilience among nurses is an essential aspect. That is because hospitals and clinics feature unique adversities requiring special coping abilities. Therefore, nurses and doctors without resilience often fail the test, becoming psychologically troubled while their productivity declines.
Interventions applied by nursing organizations to boost resilience chiefly include the teaching of attitudes that advance awareness of and reaction to pressure. The intermediations often work by increasing resilience or proxy measures of bounciness, according to the current study. However, Stacey and Cook (2019) warn that the failure to appreciate unique individual, organizational, and contextual factors across intermediation applications contradicts the reliability of the realized evidence. The article reiterates the need for caution when formulating resilience interventions focusing on the individual’s ability to handle stress.
Failing to be cautious disregards the role of community, diversity, and the requirement for institutions to learn and develop in reaction to adversities. Therefore, Stacey and Cook (2019) conclude that the skills to cope with the emotional effects of healthcare operations should be advanced as part of a public that shares a serious dialogue, provides supportive associations, and permits reflective conversation, even though they occur at a personal level. Lastly, Stacey and Cook (2019) say that resilience becomes essential to practice improvement when provided as an all-encompassing, participatory, and collective intervention. Accordingly, this article warns against the application of a single measure to promote a diverse issue.
Significance to Nursing
Definitions
The term resilience exhibits several definitions based on various sources. For example, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes the term as the capacity to recuperate from or change effortlessly to revolutions or hardships (Cooper et al., 2020). The American Heritage Dictionary further defines resilience as the capability to improve speedily from depression, illness, misfortune, or change (Cooper et al., 2020). The source similarly provides buoyancy as another word for resilience, meaning a material’s property that assists it in regaining its original form or locus after being twisted, strained, or crushed, also known as elasticity. Consequently, a constant subject amongst the dictionary meanings of the term is the aspect of rebounding and recovery regardless of change or adversity.
Related Terms
Buoyance, bounce, flexibility, elasticity, resiliency, and pliantness are words related to resilience. The first term, buoyance, refers to the capacity to recover swiftly from hindrances or to remain afloat. Moreover, bounce connotes one’s ability to regain optimism or an ordinary stable spirit, also called springiness. Flexibleness is the feature of being supple, while elasticity implies adaptability. Malleableness is the ability to retain fundamental characteristics despite changing forms, whereas pliantness implies being pliable or plasticity. Other applicable words for the term further include strength, persistence, tenacity, perseverance, potency, fortitude, and tenaciousness.
Antecedents
Antecedents are background features necessary for the realization of the development of specific traits or characteristics. The prerequisite aspects must exist either singly or collectively for some events to occur. For example, antecedents play a major role in the behavioral and legal dockets where mentors or investigators connect background elements to justify an event or conduct. Accordingly, resilience exhibits several precursors, including past adversities, role model existence, personal coping mechanisms, access to education, and religion (Badu et al., 2020). Notably, adversity, social support, and religion serve as the most crucial antecedents for the resilient spirit among many people. Cooper et al. (2020) note that individuals from hurting backgrounds often bounce back to their original spirits after facing hardships. According to the researchers, experiencing numerous low moments, such as those experienced by children growing up in poor families or street communities, provides people with adequate cushion to bear future circumstances. Generally, individuals with such experiences realize extensive psychological harm to the point of developing adaptive skills strong enough to manage many other hurting circumstances in life.
Persons who lose their parents at a young age, thus growing up under foster care or independently, are some of the highly psychologically flexible beings. Experiencing much pain at a tender age and growing without protection makes this group less expecting, implying the ability to relax or fight modestly until a new normal (Bennell, 2021). Equally, Bennell (2021) uses the adversity analogy to explain the significantly higher independence level among children growing up in the less-caring conflict-filled slum areas in developing economies. The group faces rare hardships while growing to the point of becoming used to them, with those determined to cause change beating almost all the adversities in life. Religion further provides people with faith and the ability to trust in supernatural power in charge of all things, including order and peace. Religious people’s engagement in faithful prayers and the use of unique spiritual figures as role models in suffering and overcoming make most of them resilient (Rodriguez & Dobler, 2021). Therefore, antecedents to resilience justify the possibility of molding people to nurture the spirit through research-based interventions, such as those applied in nursing and other disciplines.
Consequences
Consequences refer to the effects realizable through the effective combination of antecedents and a concept’s defining attributes. For instance, a sound mind, general well-being, and effective coping, even when faced with hardships, denote resilience consequences (Cooper et al., 2020). Other effects include personal control, integration, psychological adjustment, and personal growth. According to Amsrud et al. (2019), resilient children interact with peers effectively in tasks like reading, writing, and going to school, even when such involve difficulties, implying resilience-backed integration. Moreover, facing adversities with a positive mind exemplifies effective coping. For instance, Blanc et al. (2020) describe the survival tactics of street children warriors leading successful lives despite lacking a stable background and material during growth. The scholars find spirituality, social support, and a sense of control fundamental to an optimistic outlook in life among the population, which allows them to develop future plans, even when their future originally appeared grim. Therefore, integration, effective coping, and optimism are some of the basic effects of resilience among nurses.
Development of Cases
Model Case
A model demonstrates the application of a perception’s defining attributes and the subsequent realization of the concept-related benefits. Bridget is the youngest of eight kids from a dysfunctional household setting that survived along Honolulu’s pathways and dumpsites. She hardly saw her alcoholic father since her birth, while the addicted mother was verbally and physically verbally abusive. Three of Bridget’s siblings died along the streets through traffic accidents and alleged petty crimes. Bridget received basic care from her immediate sister, Therese, who carried her along the pathways from a young age until she could walk and engage in the borrowing business. Her mother’s drug dealing and abuse led to years of fighting involving other street family members and other persons accusing the mom of stealing or harm. Bridget’s requirements were of low importance in the family setting, with Therese often sacrificing her stuff for the young sister. Bridget became an ailing, feeble toddler, then grew into a weak kid, and later developed several malnutrition-related and respiratory system conditions, some threatening her life at five years old.
Despite her hurting background, the lack of a stable home, the lack of parental care, and repeatedly being the recipient of cruel mocking, Briget realized she was extremely smart and always relied on her determination and stable focus to get her out of tough situations. She had a reliable sibling, Therese, and a best friend, Faustine, who lived in a house next to their temporary street dwelling. Bridget and Faustine shared everything, including the desire to work hard to realize fantastic lives. Her goal was to become a nurse and help sickening children and street community members realize a better life. Building Therese, a nice home, supporting her adult education, and uniting the whole family after securing employment equally pushed Bridget to weather obstacles. She also anticipated having a perfect family with two children. Bridget’s spiritual faith promised her a better life and health, with Jesus being a principal role model, particularly in bearing hardships, maintaining focus, dropping grudges, trusting in God, and living simply.
Bridget’s family continued to spiral downwards as she grew, making her life significantly difficult. Almost all of them stopped attending church, never joined any meaningful social functions, and lost interaction with many previous friends. Bridget often found herself alone, struggling with heavy thoughts and tasks. From a young age, she walked alone from school whenever Therese was far from home, searching for something for the family. However, Briget never bothered to complain, tried to stay out of her siblings’ ways, and normally took everything in planned stride. She always worked hard and dreamed of her medical college days despite knowing well that her family could not afford to see her through primary school.
Bridget grew up in such a setting until she was 15, when her excellent grade won her full medical academic scholarship. Once there, Bridget rekindled her Christian life and fell in love with the characters of ith her namesake, St. Bridge, and MotTheresaters. She went on to join national and international Christian-based philanthropic groups, where she met McKay, among other friends. Bridget is a contented, practicing nurse manager today, with a husband and two children in a happy family. Most of her remaining siblings now have beneficial skills and jobs after supporting their education, with her supportive sister, Therese, serving as a public administrator.
Contrary Case
Sandra was married at 18 to an older, abusive, and domineering man. The young lady grew up in a significantly challenged family environment, where the stepfather was abusive, and the mother was alcoholic. Sandra’s belief that she was not college material denied her the chance to acquire specialized training. The lady served as a high school secretary before her marriage but resigned to take care of her husband. Sandra has had four children over the course of her 9-year marriage. Her husband’s protective and insecure nature denies her the opportunity to have close friends. She rarely speaks with her mother and father and never truly bonds with her offspring. Sandra became abusive toward her children due to pressure from her husband and the treatment she got from her mother while young.
Sandra decided to quit her dysfunctional marriage after 12 years. She eloped with significantly little money from her scant savings over the years. Sandra tried serving as a secretary again, but her poor personality, absenteeism, and insubordination ruined her working potential. The situation pushed her to dwindle finances and a shabby single room. She then met Ken, a salesperson from a local corporation, whom she married after a month of dating. Ken was an average fellow, never abusive, and a man of few words. Sandra spent the next seven years with Ken, never found a job or went back to class to boost her skills, and never called her children to repair their relationship. Unfortunately, Ken got involved in an accident, leading to his death. He left Sandra with a family car and a mortgage. Sandra sold the house at the age of 37 to service bills and moved into a rented room. Her situation worsened, forcing her to call her children for help, but she did not receive any. She then took menial jobs, grew bitter in life, and later committed suicide.
Criteria/Attributes of Concept
Operational Definition
Defining characteristics are the unique features of a concept appearing recurrently in the literature and reliably existing whenever the concept ensues. The described qualities for resilience are determined by associating sets of data from the gathered academic sources. Such include reintegration or rebounding, high expectancy or self-determination, social support or positive relationships, flexibility, and self-esteem or self-efficacy. The list may not be exploitative and may vary based on one’s conducted investigation. However, almost all these features appear significantly in all the realms featuring resilience.
Summary and Conclusion
The above work studies resilience to comprehend the concept and discover the opportunities of applying resilience-based intermediations in improving nursing professionals’ ability to manage stress and promote personal well-being. According to the explored academic sources, practitioners from various fields can exploit resilience’s exceptional prospects to promote positive adaptation. The review of the literature demonstrates an intensive interest from a diverse body of scholars and professional groups in exploring this attempt. Consequently, performing a concept breakdown of resilience and expounding the term’s defining characteristics, antecedents, and consequences contribute to understanding the inferences for the imminent model, investigation, and practice.
References
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