Abstract
Background
The contemporary healthcare system is inherently complex, necessitating organizational and wardlevel changes to address challenges. Continuous adaptations in daily practices are essential to meet unexpected patient needs. These dynamic changes require resilience from healthcare staf, 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; refective 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.
The contemporary healthcare system is inherently complex, necessitating organizational and wardlevel changes to address challenges. Continuous adaptations in daily practices are essential to meet unexpected patient needs. These dynamic changes require resilience from healthcare staf, 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; refective 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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | BMC Nursing |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 173 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
Keywords
- leadership
- complex work environment
- resilience
- safety-II
- nurses
- qualitative study