How Can Nurse Managers Promote Resilience in Their Teams? A systematised literature review.

Abstract

Background A resilient nursing workforce is associated with greater staff satisfaction, staff retention and patient outcomes. Healthcare organisations have a responsibility to nurture a resilient workforce. Nurse managers play a pivotal role in healthcare organisations as leaders and supervisors of nursing teams, and they serve as the link between management and the nursing staff.

Aim To identify how nurse managers can promote resilience in their teams.

Methods The research question was developed using the PICO framework, and it initially focused on critical care settings. However, the search was extended to other clinical areas to increase the source material for this study. A systematised literature review was conducted using electronic databases (CINAHL, PubMed and PsychInfo). It was limited to English-language articles published since 2010. The quality of the research was assessed using CASP and AXIS tools.

Results Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. A preliminary analysis identified two themes: (1) nurse managers’ role in supporting nurse resilience through leadership styles, positive and empowering strategies, debriefing and mindful interventions (2) the organisation’s role in supporting nurse managers’ training and personal support.

Conclusion Leadership approaches and interventions led by nurse managers can nurture resilience in teams of staff nurses. However, the literature on the organisation’s role and responsibility in promoting resilience in the workforce is limited. Further research on the best ways to promote resilience for specific settings, such as critical care, would be beneficial.

Dissemination These findings will be shared through the Saudi Digital Library and local presentations, and they will be submitted to peer-reviewed publications. Moreover, the findings will be shared with critical care managers in Saudi Arabia.