Addressing resilience through the nursing care process: a case report

Abstract

Resilience —positive adaptation in the face of adversity— is a relevant resource against mental disorders, in particular adjustment disorders, and its development requires the nursing professional to look beyond the symptoms to detect and mobilize the resources of the person and their environment. We present the case of a 48-year-old man who is voluntarily admitted to a short-stay unit after a medication overdose in a suicide attempt, in the context of serious work and marital difficulties, with low mood, apathy, insomnia and suicidal ideation and an adjustment disorder due to an inability to adapt to adversity. After assessment according to Marjory Gordon’s functional health patterns, a care plan was developed with the NANDA, NOC and NIC taxonomies (impaired resilience, ineffective coping and risk of suicide), applied during the 22 days of admission individually and in groups. At discharge, the patient presented a stable mood, a plan of alternatives to suicide, a more adjusted vision of the future and adequate family support, with a recommendation to continue working on resilience on an outpatient basis as a protective factor.