A Descriptive Study of Resiliency and Health in Practicing Nurses.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify the degree of resilience and self-perceived physical and mental health in practicing nurses. BACKGROUND: Stressors and challenges of everyday demands influence resilience and well-being in acute care nurses. METHODS: Nurses were surveyed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and PROMIS Global Health. One sample t test compared the study group to the general population mean of resiliency, physical and mental health scores. Linear regression analysis identified factors associated with resiliency. RESULTS: Of the 859 practicing nurses in the sample, most were female and White, had a BSN or associate of science in nursing degree (55.2%, 30.0%) and more than 10 years of experience (57.1%), and worked in direct patient care (77.0%). Nurses had low resiliency (P < .0001) and physical health (P = .0037). Well-being factors included 2 or more missed days/shifts in 3 months (P < .001), thoughts of quitting (P = .003), and perceptions that workload was too much (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Self-perceived physical and mental health was significantly associated with the degree of resilience.