Resiliency in leadership
Successful leaders hold themselves accountable to following their values and keeping their commitments.1 As healthcare requirements are increasingly placed on the shoulders of nurse leaders, the ability to follow through with commitments and feel like a job was well done is becoming progressively more difficult. All levels of nursing leadership are impacted in every healthcare organization. Evidence of burnout and fatigue is reflected in various nurse leadership satisfaction and turnover rates.2 Nurse leaders must deal with crises having minimal preparation and, frequently, with less than adequate resources.3 Feelings of personal inadequacy may lead to self-doubt, which is also a factor when the nurse leader is viewed as the reason for a department's problems or the service line's lack of performance.The staff may see the nurse leader as the figurehead of the relentless change that's occurring. A state of vulnerability for the nurse leader occurs when feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt are amplified by lack of support and increasing demands. A nurse leader who's vulnerable faces ongoing challenges that can be potentially harmful, both professionally and personally.3 As healthcare and technology spiral into a state of constant change, the need for strong, committed, effective leadership is augmented. The requirement for resilient nurse leaders is a crucial one.To be resilient, one must be able to not only rebound and recover from hard times, but also function in his or her role during those times.3 In order to be resilient, nurse leaders need to feel that their work has true meaning and purpose; without meaning, resilience is futile. The resilient leader is determined and competent. Self-reliance is a strong suit of the resilient leader, who's able to adapt to challenges with a sense of balance and fortitude.4The level of professional resilience can depend on an individual's personal resilience. In order to be in a place to lead, nurse leaders need to first and foremost take care of themselves and focus on maintaining a healthy balance between the requirements of their career and the important aspects of home, family, and friends. Resiliency broadens with being able to live and think in the present moment, increasing the awareness and openness to situations and opportunities.5Being resilient enables the nurse leader to transcend beyond simple survival. Resiliency promotes growth, where the leader thrives as a visionary role model for others. Various stressors, such as financial responsibilities, human resource challenges, and dwindling resources, combined with expanding requirements, compete against each other, causing nurse leaders frustration, emotional distress, anxiety, and apprehension.6 In order to develop the needed clarity and energy to flourish, the nurse leader needs to be self-reflective and learn to know the inner self. Identification of emotional triggers and subsequent reactions can help create self-awareness—one must realize that no one person is perfect. By developing a strong sense of self-esteem and a positive self-concept, a leader can further his or her emotional stability, become solution-oriented, and create a sense of mindfulness.3Mindfulness enables authenticity, creativity, and a positivity that's contagious. A resilient leader is consistent in his or her beliefs and behaviors.3 Decision-making processes become increasingly objective in nature because the nurse leader is able to see the issue for what it is and not assign unnecessary emotions, which create increased stress and frustration. There are questions that nurse leaders can ask themselves, which might offer insight into their level of personal and professional resilience. (See Table 1.)
Table 1:
Table 1:
Image Tools A gold standard measurement of resilience hasn't yet been identified. However, there are several resiliency tools within the literature, including the Brief Resilience Scale, that offer valid measurement of resilience.7 Although resilience-focused nursing research didn't begin until the 1980s, the profession of nursing encompasses the most expansive views on and approaches to the concept.8 Literature analysis and qualitative research studies have helped clarify concepts, as well as identify conceptual relationships. In 1996, a concept analysis of adult resiliency was developed, which described how self-determination and a positive attitude toward society produced encouraging outcomes such as improved coping and increased self-confidence.8