Why healthcare resilience training is important 

Working in healthcare is one of the most demanding and rewarding things you can do. After all, caregivers are ready to help other people every day, and often in stressful and emotionally charged situations as well. 

This responsibility can sometimes take a heavy toll on care staff, both physically and mentally. That is why it is important for care workers not to lose sight of themselves - and resilience training can help with that, making them stronger physically and mentally.

In this article, we discuss why a resilience training for healthcare important to follow and what to expect from it.

What are the challenges of working in healthcare that make physical and mental resilience important?

Healthcare personnel face a variety of challenges, including:

• Physical strain: think lifting, twisting and prolonged standing are daily realities.
• Psychosocial pressures: dealing with sick or dying patients, emotional families and sometimes confrontational situations.
• Aggression and harassment: unfortunately, verbal or physical aggression occurs regularly in the healthcare sector, healthcare personnel must be able to deal with it.
• Time pressure: due to the high workload and shortage of healthcare personnel, it can sometimes be difficult to maintain calm as a healthcare professional.

These factors can lead to stress and even long-term sick leave. This is what you want to prevent, and that's where resilience training comes in.

What exactly is resilience training?

Resilience training is a program that helps healthcare personnel become stronger and more resilient in challenging situations. A healthcare resilience training program focuses on both mental and physical resilience and provides practical tools to deal with stressful or confrontational situations. 

The content of a resilience training can vary, but typically you can expect roughly the following:

• Communication skills: you will learn how to respond calmly and assertively, even in difficult conversations or in situations where there is aggressive behavior.
• Conflict management: you will learn practical techniques to de-escalate tensions and control situations.
• Stress management: you will learn methods for recognizing stress signals and dealing with work pressure.
• Physical resilience: you will learn techniques to protect yourself physically in case of aggression.
• Self-confidence: you will get tips for increasing your self-confidence and ability to set boundaries.

Why is resilience training important?

You can better protect yourself from aggression

Healthcare personnel are increasingly encountering aggression, both verbal and physical. During a resilience training you will learn how to recognize aggression, how to act to prevent escalation and how to physically defend yourself if necessary.

Your mental resilience increases

By increasing your stress resilience, you can better handle the pressures that come with work. This not only helps prevent burnout, but also contributes to a more positive work experience.

You learn to communicate better

Effective communication is essential in healthcare. During the training you will receive tips on how to remain clear and calm in communication, even in stressful situations. This not only improves collaboration with colleagues, but also the relationship with patients and their families.

You will learn how to create a healthier work culture

When healthcare teams are more resilient, a safer and more pleasant working environment is created. This has a positive impact on the well-being of both staff and patients.

What can you expect from resilience training?

Good resilience training is hands-on and interactive. You learn through role plays, exercises and theory. Some examples of what to expect:

• Practicing situations: simulations of conflicts or aggressive situations are covered to learn how to respond to them effectively.
• Group dynamics: group training helps to share experiences and learn from each other.
• Personal growth: you learn to reflect on your own behavior how to set boundaries.
• Practical tips including breathing techniques to proper posture in stressful situations.

Investing in yourself is investing in care

By taking healthcare resilience training, you are investing in yourself and in doing so, you are making healthcare better again. In short, it's definitely worth taking a resilience training course. You can take the training courses at caregiving agencies, among others. An example is Care agency PRTD from Rotterdam.