Effect of Positive Thinking Skills Training on the Resilience of Nurses Working in Selected Military Hospitals

Work motivation among nurses may decrease over time, and the risk of quitting their job and shortage of personnel threatens the health system. In this case, strengthening their resilience by using psychological interventions is of great importance.

The present study aimed to determine the effect of positive thinking skills training on the resilience of nurses working in selected military hospitals in Tabriz.

The present study was conducted based on a pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design. The statistical population consisted of nurses working in selected hospitals of Aja in Tabriz in the second half of 2022. Based on the inclusion criteria, 50 nurses were selected and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. For the intervention group, positive thinking training was conducted through group discussion in eight 90-minute sessions of face-to-face training. Demographic characteristics form and The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed in SPSS statistical software (version 21) using statistical tests.

There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of demographic characteristics. The mean scores of the resilience of nurses before the intervention were obtained at 39.28±6.12 and 41.56±9.54 in the intervention and control groups, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.32). After the intervention, they reached 60.12±4.66 and 42.60±8.98, demonstrating a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.001). Resilience also improved from the pre-test to the post-test in the intervention group (P<0.001); nonetheless, it was not significant in the control group (P=0.16).

Considering the effectiveness of positive thinking skills training in nurses' resilience, it is suggested that this simple, cheap, and applicable method be used for nurses.