Resiliency Defined, by Us & for Us
Our resiliency is vital to our wellness. As human beings we are all called upon to weather the ups and downs of everyday life. The idea that we can bend, move one way or another, and come back in a way that works for us is empowering. So, resiliency is a concept well worth exploring.
Let’s first acknowledge that our experiences during COVID may have left many of us with negative connotations of resiliency. We shouldered incredible workloads and stress while also defending our right to be human – to experience the impacts of what we took on.
I want to be clear: Experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue does NOT mean you are “bad” at resilience. Resilience is a concept that can serve us, but it does not make us immune to normal responses to extraordinary situations. We all know this logically, and likely share with those in our care, but let’s really let it sink in!
Are you as ready to let that go of that as I am? Okay! Let’s talk about what resilience is. As your new APNA President, I invite you to join me in reclaiming resiliency for the good!
Here’s what I mean: let’s share what resiliency means to us. This will help guide our understanding of how resiliency can improve wellness and advance care.
I’ll go first. To me, resiliency is a group of concepts including respect, empathy, compassion, and embracing differences. Resiliency is a journey: I am human, not perfect, and there are times when I am more resilient than others. Professionally, I define resilience as strength-based, meeting individuals where they are, and recognizing past experiences.
Your turn: Share here
As you reflect on your strengths, remember the Call for Abstracts for the APNA 40th Annual Conference will open soon. I hope my theme, Building on Strengths: A Resiliency Journey to Improve Wellness and Advance Care, inspires you to examine your practice and ask yourself, “What’s going well?” Presenting evidence-based innovations and insights to your fellow nurses strengthens the care we give and our ability to move ourselves and our patients toward healing, wellness, and resiliency.
Allyson Neal, DNP, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, PNP
President
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
Published November 2025
