Equanimity
All nurses have experienced being led by various nurse leaders within their careers, and most have been able to note differences in the sense of upheaval or stability that the leaders projected. Most often, those who were able to consistently convey a sense of calm and control enabled the crisis or stressful situation to be dealt with in a more logical manner, with less of a negative impact on the department or unit. It's proposed that this sense of calmness and even-tempered ability, or equanimity, can be the first step in creating personal resiliency for the nurse leader.When an individual feels a lack of control, this creates anxiety that can negatively impact sound decision-making skills and perpetuates inaccurate assessments or perceptions of the situation.9 Equanimity can be explained as the practice of self-control that's based on calmness, which creates composure and a sense of poise. Self-control is a vital component of being able to cope and develop coping strategies that enable future resilience.10 Uncertainty can create fear and increased stress.When a nurse leader is presented with uncertainty, his or her perceived lack of control related to it increases the sense of urgency to return to a structural normalcy.11 Embodying the concept of equanimity allows the nurse leader to remain in control and assess situations clearly and accurately. It provides the nurse leader with the sense of self-confidence and the propensity to envision solutions with calmness and grace. It's with these thoughts that equanimity stands as first in the proposed sequential conceptual triad model of nurse leader resiliency.