Mental health nurses' experience of resilience during COVID-19: A qualitative inquiry

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented demands and additional stress for nurses in mental health settings. There is no prior evidence on nurses' experience of building and maintaining resilience in the context of work during COVID-19. The aim of this study was to explore the experience and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the resilience of nurses in mental health settings. Data from semi-structured interviews with 20 nurses from an Australian mental health service were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four main themes were generated: experiencing significant disruptions; making sense of shared chaos; having professional commitment; and growing through the challenges. Nurses' practice and teamwork were disrupted by COVID-19 related changes to care models and infection prevention policies. They successfully adjusted by having awareness of self and others' emotions, using mental and emotional self-regulatory strategies, engaging in self-care, using ‘bricolage’ to create different ways to provide care, and having mutually supportive relationships. Nurses connected to their sense of purpose and professional commitment to fuel their therapeutic work and sustain care delivery. They experienced personal and professional growth with an increased understanding of their strengths and resilience. In the post-pandemic period, although the challenges presented by the pandemic have lessened, there are ongoing negative impacts on nurses' wellbeing. To maintain and strengthen their wellbeing and practice, the findings indicate the importance of professional development in emotional regulation skills, and strategies to strengthen self-care and build collegial relationships in teams. Resilience education can be implemented to support nurses' resilient practice skills.