Resilience has been defined in many ways, including as a
trait, a process, a quality, a cycle, an attribute, and a psychological
category (Jackson, Firtko, & Edenborough, 2007).
At times, resilience has been associated with traits such as
hardiness, mental toughness, and emotional stability, but
because it is a behavior that can be nurtured and improved,
resilience is a much more complex factor in human adaptation.
It includes positive coping mechanisms and the ability
to utilize individual strengths in order to overcome trauma
and stress (Howe, Smajdor, & Stockl, 2012). The purposes
of this article are to offer the Neuman Systems Model as a
conceptual framework for exploring the concept of nurse
resilience, and to describe strategies that promote resiliencebuilding
in nurses.