The health care industry is experiencing tremendous change on multiple fronts including changing demographics, economics, regulations, and advances in technology. Patients and their families are more knowledgeable and have higher expectations for care. These and multiple other factors have created an unprecedented and urgent need for health care systems to transform and reinvent themselves. Resilient nurse leaders are needed to address these forces proactively to build even better systems of care for healthy communities and workplaces.
This Nursing Administration Quarterly issue presents both research and personal reflections using the concept of resilience and how this is a critical competency for today and the next generation of nursing leaders. Two areas of focus are evident through this work. First is the nurse leader's work to transform and reinvent the health system and, second, using resilience to transform the self personally and professionally following unexpected or involuntary job loss. Articles of both are presented.
To begin, caring scholars present a caring and resiliency model that is patient-centered and emphasizes the importance of leaders' reflection and self-care. While cultural competence in patient care has been a focus of caregivers for decades, now one author challenges nurse leaders to look beyond these standards to those we have in place for employees at all levels. What is the lens through which expectations and standards are written and enforced? How do we reconcile cultural differences in the workplace as well as our patient populations?
Nurse leader resilience is needed now more than ever. The competencies of population management and community care are very different from the acute care framework. Several authors have experienced unexpected job loss, and the stories of resilience and reinvention are presented both through original research and through personal reflections. The resilient leader has a mind-set of possibilities and opportunities instead of problems, and these studies and stories underscore the importance of overcoming adversity and proactively creating the future.
As issue editors, we would like to thank all of the authors for their insights and different perspectives they were able to add to this issue. We also would like to recognize the nurse leaders who participated in our research study and were willing to share their experiences from their unexpected job loss. Having resilience and being able to reinvent oneself are key competencies for all nurse leaders. There are truly many opportunities and hopefulness for the future of our profession.
-Mary O'Connor, PhD, RN, FACHE
Guest Editor
Associate Professor Nursing
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore
-Joyce Batcheller, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Guest Editor
President, CNO Solutions
Austin, Texas