Discuss the concept of resilience, including factors that contribute to resilience for health care consumers and health professionals Patients Bad and how that is fxed Social support and how families contribute How professionals can help Colleagues assisting colleagues Support groups Life is characterised by inevitable difficulties, whilst some survive and get stronger, others succumb and struggle to cope.
This is more prevalent in healthcare professional roles like nursing – faced with multiple stressors and pressures which could have an inextricable impact on not just the nurses but the quality of care they provide and their patients of focus. The famous quote by Nietzsche (1888) cited in Harrington (2012) “What does not kill me makes me stronger” suggests that the experience gained during challenges helps strengthen individuals, however research suggest that individuals are ultimately strengthened by their responding roles in times of life adversities.
The concept of resilience can be defined in numerous ways within the healthcare sector. This makes it challenging to identify precisely however the one thing that can be agreed on is that it is characterised by the ability to adapt and spring back from adversity. Internal and external factors including life experience can reinforce or hinder the development of an individual’s resilience. Healthcare consumers that have strong family connections and acknowledge their spirituality often have their families achieve positive outlooks and overcome stressful experiences collectively.
Chronic conditions can lead to alter a patient’s individual needs which can affect their maintenance of optimism. Needing to rely on others can often leave patients feeling useless or burdensome. It is up to their family, friends and healthcare professionals to help them keep their confidence and dignity despite this. To gain resilience one must be able to take stresses and deal with them in a productive manner.
The idea of resilience is also about embracing change, acknowledging that and being mindful that if we do not embrace these changes in our lives we become increasingly less resilient and increase vulnerability The ability to grow strong through experiencing difficulty and hardship by embracing it, and reframing it as a learning experience Concept of resilience Ability to withstand/overcome something Bounce back, try again Recover/reclaim/restore order amidst the apparent disorder Persist/persevere through adversity Adapt/modify/readjust BUILDING resilience Family, religion, rituals, coping mechanisms.
Negative effects on health -> stressors!!!! Life changes & strains, catastrophic events acute/chronic stressors, daily hassles (amplified) (Gill, 2012) Strategies that improve this (mediators/ buffers -> cognitive appraisal, predictability, control, coping methods and resources/social support [knowing your family! friends/medical staff will be there for you and want the best for you – authority figures – doctors to rely on, someone to talk to], aking up new hobbies that you enjoy) Coping, as defined by Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress (1984, as cited in Gill, 2012), is “constantly changing … efforts to manage … demands [considered to be affecting a person negatively)”. Effective coping is a key element that determines individual’s ability to achieve resilience. Coping factors methods mechanisms are used to allow an individual to cope by improving the quality and development of resilience. A patient who believes in their ability to overcome a major medical issue or cope with a chronic illness demonstrates selfefficacy.
This can play a major role in how they approach their lives despite environmental challenges or barriers in addition to an increased ability to adopt and establish new, enjoyable habits that can consequently improve confidence and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and other unfavourable behaviours. , economical status can be assessed by practitioners and referrals can be put forward or other service organised to ensure Happy, productive lives Patients who had a sense of control and social support exhibited positive attitudes towards their future (Garcia-Dia, DiNapoli, Garcia-Ona, Jakubowski & O’ Faherty, 2013).
The way an individual adjusts and interprets life-changing events can lead to the development of resilience. … Presence of intense pressure, diagnosis, confusion -> after care may not be carried out correctly therefore contributing to further adversity occurring and prolonged stress. Fam too Internal and external locus of control (Berman) … professionals can help with this!! C: Nothing else to do but deal with the illness and what comes with it. Health professionals are required to ensure a patient will have the best possible health outcome given their circumstances.
In ensuring this occurs, professionals must be weary that their actions and personality as well as their approach to therapeutic communication can drastically effect the way a patient may adhere to the information they’re being given regarding their illness, care and other coping strategies that may be prescribed or advise such as ensuring they spend enough time in social groups around people that make them feel like they have a purpose and can contribute to others lives despite the fact that they need to rely on or require regular assistance from many.
Professionals who identify problems, time manage, and keep records are able to effectively reduce the complications and confusion of demanding situations. Nurses that use problem solving techniques assess the circumstances, distinguishes alternatives, and evaluates the results of their actions. Time management allows for professionals to prioritise and control demands, enabling them experience diminished stress due to them being in greater control of their circumstances (Berman et al. 2015).
In the same way a health professional can play a significant part in building resilience in patients they need to also be mindful of their own resilience. The same as seen within families, health professionals may attend team stress management sessions not out of necessity but to display solidarity and provide support for other team members. This can help improve resilience within the groups. Furthermore, personal and group debriefing sessions are available to paramedics in Australia. Provided for those personnel who were left feeling uneasy or traumatised after attending an accident or disaster.
Though some may have been able to cope perfectly fine due to their own methods of coping, they may still attend such group sessions to show solidarity and support for their team members. This effectively builds resilience within the healthcare sector which can ultimately lead to improved productivity and unification in practice (Williams & Keep, 2012). Violent patients/traumatic events Coping** The most effective healthcare environments are those in which the principles of resiliency are embedded within the daily rituals in attempt to lessen the effect of adversity as opposed to only addressing it when it takes a major toll.
Strong, supportive connections between staff, patients and families are forged; where empathy, optimism and positive self-image are encouraged. Future challenges The capacity to thrive in the face of adversity is at the heart of resilience. stress is one of the key factors that depletes resilience levels (Jackson et al, 2007), creating a workplace that cares for professionals by giving them opportunities to discuss their wellbeing, express concerns, dialogue critical issues and exchange vital information to benefit their preparedness for situations that may arise will ultimately help reduce stress Gill, Fam resilience – as resilience is fostered professionals can help them gain a coherent understanding of their crisis, thus making it more manageable and meaningful Family belief systems – making meaning of adversity/positive outlook/ transcendence (existence or experience beyond the physical level. flexibility, connectedness, social/economic resources
Communication processes ensure clarity, open emotional expression, collaborative problem solving in order to deal with stressors. tability, capacity for change, counterbalancing the two, as well as unity and separateness, connectedness, clear boundaries, shared leadership providing nurturance/protection/ guidance can help absorb the shock of their predicament. It isn’t so much the problem, but the attitude toward it. The development of effective coping skills is imperative to resilience. One of the easiest ways to begin to work on this is to adopt an optimistic approach to dealing with stressors
Past experiences – traumatic Fam, smothering, abuse, expectations, pressures, isolation, neglect Factors that build resilience help you deal w/ adversity & stress eg fam, religion/belief system, rituals, coping mechanisms. Define resilience more clearly and introduce the idea of positive factors that can contribute to resilience in health care consumers. Then the same but negative factors. For some patients, the event of being diagnosed and experiencing a chronic condition can be traumatic.
The ability of these people to assess and adjust effectively determines whether resilience is prominent or maladaptation occurs… Then the same but pos for professionals. Caring and support: Communicate high expectations Positive bonding to people, places, hobbies, values Clear boundaries Life skills – negotiating conflict, goal setting, communicating effectively (instilling confidence, positive self-esteem,)