Date Submitted
1-2023
Faculty Advisor
Sarah E Getch, PhD
Second Faculty Advisor
Esperanza Anaya, PhD
Third Faculty Advisor
Leanora Barreca, PhD
Abstract
Job-related stress is well-documented in healthcare professionals, which can lead to deleterious effects on the healthcare field, including patient outcomes. In the absence of systematic organizational changes, healthcare professionals must rely on personal resilience to maintain psychological well-being. The following study examined the effectiveness of a training protocol designed to facilitate the development of psychological resilience. Employees at a hospice and palliative care agency were offered an 8-week training curriculum rooted in the theory and technique of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). To measure changes in resilience and coping over time, two measures were administered at the outset of training and upon completion: The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Coping Flexibility Questionnaire. Employees were split into two groups to allow for adequate staffing coverage, with each group completing the same training. A waitlist control group comparison could not be made due to low waitlist assessment completion. Scores on all measures increased from pretest to posttest, indicating greater resilience and coping flexibility; however, these differences were not statistically significant. The results of the study may be used to inform future directions in developing training for enhancing and maintaining resilience in high-stress professional fields such as healthcare.
