Effects of interventions to promote resilience in nurses: A systematic review

Various trials are investigating the effect of digital and face-to-face interventions on nurse resilience; however, it remains unclear whether these interventions have immediate, short-term or long-term effects.

The objective of the systematic review is to identify the types of interventions and assess the immediate (<3 months), short-term (3-6 months), and long-term (>6 months) effects of these interventions on nurse resilience.

This systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Registered Number: CRD 42023434924), and results are reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol.

Data were collated from the databases of CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase (OVID), Medline, and Scopus between March and May 2023. The research protocol was determined following the framework of population, exposure, outcomes, and type of study. The articles with full text published between 2000 and 2023 were included. Studies were included if they (1) involved the nurses who provided patient care directly, (2) utilised digital or face-to-face interventions, (3) reported resilience outcomes, and (4) were randomised controlled trials or clinical trials. The JBI critical appraisal tool was utilised to assess the risk of bias for the studies collected.

A total of 18 studies met the criteria and were analysed. Pooled results demonstrated that digital interventions had a statistically significant positive effect on nurse resilience at 4-5-month follow-ups (standardised mean difference [SMD] = 0.71; 95 % CI = 0.13, 1.29; P = 0.02) compared to no interventions. Additionally, pooled data showed no effect on nurse resilience at all the follow-ups, compared to no interventions. No significant results were observed in comparisons of digital or face-to-face interventions between the intervention and control groups.

The review assessed digital and face-to-face resilience interventions in nurses across 18 trials. Digital methods showed a short-term impact within 4-5 months, whilst face-to-face interventions had no effect during follow-ups. Realistic expectations, ongoing support, and tailored interventions are crucial for nurse resilience enhancement.

It was identified digital interventions had a short-term impact on nurse resilience, whilst face-to-face interventions had no effect during follow-ups @fionayyu.