Nurses working in juvenile correctional facilities face complex emotional, behavioural, and institutional challenges as they support adolescents in conflict with the law. Resilience is essential for sustaining therapeutic engagement and professional functioning in these high-stress environments, yet little is known about how correctional nurses in Southeast Asia develop and maintain resilience. This study explored the lived experiences of nurses working in juvenile correctional facilities in Indonesia to identify the core dimensions of resilience that shape caregiving practice. A descriptive qualitative design with a phenomenological approach was used. Ten nurses from two juvenile correctional facilities (LPKA Maros and Mamuju) participated in semi-structured interviews conducted between January and April 2025. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, supported by member checking, peer debriefing, and NVivo 12. Ethical approval was obtained prior to data collection. Five interrelated themes emerged: (1) emotional regulation, (2) impulse control, (3) causal analysis and problem-solving, (4) empathy, and (5) self-efficacy. These themes illustrate resilience as a dynamic emotional, cognitive, and relational process that enables nurses to manage stress, maintain professional boundaries, and provide stabilising therapeutic guidance to adolescents. The findings extend existing resilience theory by demonstrating how resilience is shaped not only by individual capacity but also by the demands and constraints of correctional settings. This study offers a resilience-based framework with practical relevance for correctional nursing in low-resource settings, including Southeast Asia and Africa. Integrating resilience training, reflective supervision, and organisational support may strengthen nurse well-being and enhance the quality of adolescent rehabilitation services. Further research is recommended to validate these dimensions across diverse correctional contexts.
Hardiyati et al. (Sun,) studied this question.