Developing resilience: the role of nurses, healthcare teams and organisations

Discussions about the sustainability of the healthcare workforce have placed considerable emphasis on improving the resilience of healthcare professionals. However, when discussed in relation to individuals, the contextual aspects of resilience are often lost. This means that individuals are burdened with the responsibility of increasing their resilience so that they can better manage the challenges they experience, rather than examining the external and environmental factors that can affect resilience. This article explores the concept of resilience and suggests ways in which resilience can be developed by individuals and in collaboration with others, resulting in resilient healthcare teams and organisations capable of supporting individuals effectively. It aims to assist healthcare professionals to develop their resilience, while also improving their understanding of the complex factors that can affect their coping capacity, as well as how community influences the resilience of everyone.