Resilience in adolescents with chronic illness: The nurses’ role in its promotion

Abstract

Background: The way adolescents with chronic illness (ACI) cope with adversity is associated with their resilience potential, which is also built through the relationship established with nurses. Objectives: To identify resilience-promoting nursing interventions in ACI; to assess resilience in ACI; and to establish an association between their level of resilience and the received interventions. Methodology: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted. First, a qualitative study was conducted with a focus group of 8 nurses from a pediatric hospital, resulting in a list of resilience-pro-moting nursing interventions (LIER). Then, a quantitative study was conducted where a questionnaire was applied to 32 ACI (including the Resilience Scale and the LIER obtained in the first study). Results: Nurses reported several resilience-promoting nursing interventions. In a sample of 32 ACI, the level of resilience was average and higher in the adolescents with neurological diseases and in girls. A low correlation was found between the level of resilience and the nursing interventions. Conclusion: The results should be disseminated, and increased investment should be made so that the promotion of resilience in ACI clearly results from nursing interventions.