Resilience Concept Analysis Paper

Nurses often work with seriously ill patients with a variety of physical, emotional and psychosocial problems. Two patients’ outcomes can be vastly different due to resilience even though they have the same disease process occurring. This paper is a concept analysis of the concept of resilience. Resiliency is often used interchangeably with adaptability, overcoming, survival or resourcefulness. Merriam-Webster (2016) defines resilience as "an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change." This concept analysis will follow Walker and Avant’s 8 step approach. Within this analysis, several definitions and usages of resilience will be explored. A concept analysis will clarify the meaning of a concept and help to understand the

Some people adapt well in the face of a life-threatening disease. Resilience is vital for patients to overcome illness and reach their best outcome, mentally, emotionally, and physically. In a study by Chan and Wong (2006), coronary heart disease patients high in personal resilience achieved better outcomes than those low in personal resilience. This was indicated by higher physical and mental summary measures, lower cholesterol levels and better performance on the 6-minute walk test. Further, it showed that optimists are more likely to use adaptive problem-focused coping strategies. They place emphasis on the positive aspects of their illness, more readily seek social support, and have greater acceptance of uncontrollable outcomes (Chan & Wong, 2006). Cardiac patients with higher positive life orientation showed better recovery in response to treatment over one month. Similarly, this study found that optimistic cardiac patients responded more positively to cardiac rehabilitation programs, which aimed at decreasing the risk of future cardiac events (Chan & Wong, 2006).
Resilience is found in a variety of disciplines. Personal resilience facilitates adjustment and coping in various stressful situations. This demonstrates the ability to adapt when challenged by adversities or

The American Psychological Association (2009) defines resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress, such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. It means ‘bouncing back’ from difficult experiences. An example of resilience in psychology is children who suffer from abuse. The negative effects of childhood abuse are well-documented. These include psychological difficulties such as conduct disorders, personality disorders, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder, intense feelings of shame, difficulty expressing emotions, and relationship challenges (Crete & Singh, 2015). Although many survivors experience significant personal and relational challenges due to abuse, others not only survive but also develop resilience. For instance, those who make meaning from their abuse may demonstrate resilience through helping others, overcoming psychological illnesses, and fostering healthy personal relationships (Crete & Singh,