Development of resilience in nursing students: A systematic qualitative review and thematic synthesis

Resilience is a term commonly used to describe the ability to turn adversity into opportunities and learn from demanding situations. There seems to be a need to identify support strategies for developing resilience among nursing students in order to strengthen their professional practice. The aim of this review was to synthesize qualitative research exploring how resilience can be developed in nursing students. The review question was: How can nurse educators support students’ development of resilience? Relevant publications were identified by systematic data searches in May 2017 in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, Webb of Science, ProQuest, Academic and Eric. Eight qualitative research studies in English that explored resilience in the context of nursing education were included. Five descriptive themes emerged: Demonstrating caring relationships, Recognizing resources and power, Acknowledging uncertainty, Reframing burdensome experiences and Adjusting frames for learning. In addition, two overarching analytic themes emerged: An educational culture of trustworthiness and Readiness to care. In conclusion, a learning culture characterized by trustworthiness appears to be a catalyst for developing resilience in nursing students. A variety of support strategies in nursing education contribute to resilience in nursing students, thus influencing their readiness to care. •Research on how to develop resilience in nursing students is scarce.•Resilience contributes to nursing students' readiness to care.•An educational learning culture of trustworthiness promotes the development of resilience.•Nurse educators can support the development of their students' resilience.