These resilience instructional materials are supportive of a university integrative nursing program and may be useful to a wide range of healthcare professionals. The materials are consistent with recommendations from the World Health Organization (Suicide, 2014) for suicide prevention.
By practicing to be resilient, we take greater control of our challenges and we can make our families more resilient, too. Resilience encourages using positive-coping skills to manage stress in an optimal way. These positive-coping skills are considered protective factors because our intent is to take a personal challenge and create a more positive and less stressful outcome. Protective factors include recommendations of the World Health Organization for suicide prevention. Our objectives, therefore, are to develop social support systems, positive-coping skills for resilience, self-esteem, self-efficacy (believing you are capable of reaching a goal), and problem solving skills. An entirely educational approach is used for learning resilience using the theme of the "Hero's Journey." Common to many epic stories is the hero who, facing a challenge, goes on an adventure, is victorious, and returns as a transformed person. The Hero's Journey encourages us to recognize the importance of teamwork through a social support system.
Basic Resilience Exercises
This learning uses Problem Based Learning (PBL) by applying positive-coping skills to create less stressful outcomes to our real life challenges. We title these skills Belief, Persistence, Strength, Trust, and Adaptability for our learning. Each positive-coping skill has three exercises, "Tell your story" to build on your prior successes, "Collaborate" to build problem solving skills while working on a real challenge with a companion, and "Transformation" to reflect or think about how you have changed after working with the exercises. The Basic Resilience Exercises can be completed orally. Alternatively, writing responses can often help to better organize thinking. If you have limited time, then consider completing the Belief and Trust skills. Then, go to the Strength Skill and practice a relaxation exercise, such as diaphragmatic breathing. Though each skill is unique, the learning exercises for each skill are nearly the same. This repeating of exercises is intended to build confidence. This, in turn, strengthens the idea we can be resilient and work comfortably with others as we deal with real life challenges. Basic Resilience Exercises PDF » |
College of Nursing Resilience ModelThe University of Arizona, College of Nursing, integrative nursing with resilience encourages putting on 'mental armor' to better protect ourselves from stressful challenges and to better prepare ourselves for academic success. The resilience model blends positive-coping skills, social support, and problem-based learning focused on personal and educational challenges that occur in the curricula timelines. This is a legacy look at some of the resources and results of the endeavor.
|
Resilience App
Download Resilience Application. Download the entire app and run it on your own device. Download, unzip, start your browser and Open the index.html file in the FiveSkillApp folder to run this on your browser. The application has been constructed as simple HTML and Javascript pages to permit easy editing and modification should you wish to alter this app for your instruction. Resilience App zip » |
Gamification ResourcesGamified learning is an educational process of building in game elements to make learning more motivating and interesting. The goal is to encourage social interaction and support using positive coping skills that foster resilience. More » |
Resilience Design and Training for HealthcareInterested in developing your own resilient healthcare initiative? If you wish to design your own program, refer to Educator/Developer and to the Resilience Workbook PDF an Educators Multiuse Handbook for Resilience. |
The Basic Resilience Exercises are group focused though, minimally, two people can do the training together, such as two healthcare workers or a healthcare worker and family member. Solitary learning is not encouraged simply because social support is key to resilience. 
A simple web-based application that parallels the five positive-coping skills, journals your learning, and further allows you to create your own resilience skills. The app permits exploration of a personal challenge using any or all of the skills. All data is stored locally on your computer or device. Should you want a printable version, the app has been translated to hardcopy in the workbook. 
