Defining Resilience for Healthcare Professionals- a Delphi Study.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Occupational Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Resilience is a frequently discussed concept in healthcare, with diverse definitions and underlying mechanisms.
• Understanding resilience is crucial for healthcare professionals' well-being and performance.
• Existing literature presents varied perspectives on resilience in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore healthcare professionals' perceptions of resilience within their specific workplace environments.
• To clarify the meaning and influencing factors of resilience in the UAE healthcare context.
• To establish a foundation for developing national guidelines on healthcare professional resilience.

Main Methods:

• A three-round Delphi survey was employed to gather expert opinions.
• Forty-one initial statements regarding resilience were developed from a literature search.
• A panel of experts refined, expanded, and restricted the statements.

Main Results:

• The expert panel reached a consensus on eight core elements impacting resilience.
• These elements represent factors that positively or negatively influence the resilience of UAE healthcare professionals.
• The study identified key drivers of resilience specific to the UAE healthcare workforce.

Conclusions:

• A consensus-based approach was successfully used to assess resilience levels.
• This study is a foundational step towards creating national guidelines for UAE healthcare professionals.
• The findings aim to optimize the health and well-being of the UAE's healthcare workforce.