Nurses are often told to “be more resilient”. But resilience isn’t about putting up with everything. Here is what actually helps, and what employers must do too.
Imagine sitting through a resilience workshop after months of short-staffed shifts, then going straight back to a ward with two nurses missing. Resilience alone can’t fix that.
What resilience really is
Resilience is the ability to cope with stress and recover from difficult experiences. It is shaped by your personal habits, your relationships and, importantly, your working environment.
Personal habits that help
- Protecting sleep, especially around night shifts
- Taking breaks and eating on shift
- Talking about difficult cases with trusted colleagues
- Having interests outside work
- Setting limits on extra shifts
Team and workplace factors
- Supportive leadership
- Debriefs after difficult events
- Fair rotas and safe staffing
- Access to staff support and counselling
- A culture where it’s okay to ask for help
Warning signs you need more support
- Constant exhaustion
- Feeling numb or detached from patients
- Dreading every shift
- Using alcohol or other substances to cope
- Thoughts of leaving nursing or harming yourself
Frequently asked questions
Can resilience be learned?
Some skills can be learned, such as coping strategies and reflection. But it works best in a supportive workplace.
But isn’t resilience just blaming nurses for the system?
It can be, if used that way. Real resilience programmes go alongside fixing staffing, workload and culture.
Your next step: Pick one personal habit to protect this month, and raise one workplace issue with your manager.
Related: Nurse burnout: signs and what to do · Compassion fatigue vs burnout
Sources: World Health Organization, American Nurses Association Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation, International Council of Nurses, NHS Practitioner Health.
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