The caregiver's health: possibilities for the resilience promotion in nurses

possibilidades de promoção de resiliência em enfermeiros

Abstract

This study aims to build a theoretical framework to understand the relationship between the adversities at the work environment and the possibility of resilience promotion among nursing caregivers. Firstly a reference search on data bases (LILACS, MEDLINE, PUBMED) was conducted by using the key-words resilience, occupational health, resilience and occupation, caregivers care, resilience and nursing, as well as through on-line requests to existing study groups in Brazil. This investigation found 202 articles about resilience written between 1990 and 2003, most of them referring to children in poverty. In the health area by crisscrossing 'caregiver's health' and 'resilience' no article was found. However, it was possible to find 24 articles about the caregiver's care written between 1993 and 2004, in which 3 discussed the doctor's health but not the nurse's. From this review, some contributions to the study of resilience could be pinpointed: understanding the concept of resilience constitutes a powerful transformation tool because it allows some respite from human suffering. It encourages more positive and adequate attitudes in the face of challenging and stressful everyday situations. Based on the characteristics proposed by Flach, Polk and Reivich & Shatté, it is possible to implement preventive and intervening care programs addressed to the caregiver, focusing on the development of personal (inner resources) qualities, the relational aspects and the communication skills, as well as the professional aspect in resilience promotion and consequently, health promotion.