Exploring nurses' leadership and resilience in a complex daily work environment: a qualitative study
Abstract Background The contemporary healthcare system is inherently complex, necessitating organizational and ward-level changes to address challenges. Continuous adaptations in daily practices are essential to meet unexpected patient needs. These dynamic changes require resilience from healthcare...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | BMC Nursing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-02761-2 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Abstract Background The contemporary healthcare system is inherently complex, necessitating organizational and ward-level changes to address challenges. Continuous adaptations in daily practices are essential to meet unexpected patient needs. These dynamic changes require resilience from healthcare staff, including nurses. This paper explores how nurses show leadership in response to changes within a complex work environment that demands resilience in their daily practices. Methods An empirical qualitative study was employed. Non-participatory observations were conducted in February and March 2022 (n = 60 h), providing thick descriptions of nurses working across various shifts. Subsequently, two semi-structured group interviews were held: the first with nurses only and the second with multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. The interview transcripts and thick descriptions were analyzed using thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics. Results Responding to a changing work environment requires resilience from nurses who exhibit leadership showing four distinct behaviors: proactive, patient-centered care; investigative problem-solving; reflective learning; and profession-based approaches. Conclusion Collaboration is a key factor in resilient nurse leadership, both among nurses, and in interaction with patients, other healthcare professionals, and management. This research highlights how nurses’ considerations, beliefs, and interactions, make their leadership behavior visible in a context that demands situated, structural, and social resilience. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1472-6955 |