Staff acting resiliently at two hospital wards

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology
• Nursing Studies

Background:

• Leadership transitions and conflicts are common in healthcare settings.
• The impact of leadership instability on frontline staff resilience is not fully understood.
• Understanding staff coping mechanisms is vital for organizational stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how hospital staff (nurses and physicians) manage daily work during leadership conflicts or absences.
• To assess the resilience of staff in response to leadership challenges in two hospital wards.
• To identify factors contributing to staff resilience in dynamic leadership environments.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with hospital staff.
• Analysis focused on work practices, cooperation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and uncertainty management.
• Staff coping strategies during leader absence were examined.

Main Results:

• Staff in both studied wards exhibited resilient behaviors in their daily work.
• Resilience was linked to the ability to handle uncertainties and maintain cooperation.
• Strong emotional ties and sensible role structures were identified as key organizational factors.

Conclusions:

• Organizational context significantly influences staff's ability to act resiliently.
• Decision-makers can enhance organizational resilience by fostering emotional connections and clear roles.
• Promoting staff resilience independent of leadership is essential for long-term organizational stability.