Connecting theory with practice: Time to explore social reality and rethink resilience among health professionals

AIM: To discuss and contrast different theoretical perspectives of resilience and explore the value these bring to understanding health professional well-being. BACKGROUND: Resilience has been used to describe one characteristic of health professionals who work in challenging areas, such as intensive care units, emergency departments and oncology settings. Studies have reported on how health professionals can become more resilient in these settings-with a focus on individuals-describing the conditions needed to become more resilient. DESIGN: This is a Discussion paper. DATA SOURCES: This paper draws on the extant literature to explore theoretical perspectives of social constructionism and social constructivism. These perspectives are then linked to recent literature to support the discussion of how resilience can be understood and considered in the context of health professionals. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Resilience is typically conceptualized at an individual level. This manuscript highlights the broader structural factors which impact health practitioner well-being. The benefits of a resilient workforce are known to have an impact on the quality of patient care. CONCLUSION: This paper argues that resilience should be considered from a social approach that is sensitive to the context, including the relationships an individual has within their social environment.