Developing and integrating professional resilience: influencing factors for social workers as students and new practitioners

ABSTRACT

Increasingly complex practice contexts challenge social workers’ resilience, impacting workforce attraction and retention. This study comprised longitudinal and qualitative research to understand what influences professional resilience development, maintenance and integration. Purposive sampling resulted in the inclusion of 23 participants from eight Australian universities. Interviews occurred when the participants were students nearing the completion of a Master of Social Work (Qualifying) degree and again after approximately six months of post-qualifying practice. The results reveal social workers’ resilience develops over time through processing experiences that occur within contexts and shape professional identity. Supportive relationships are integral to this process, becoming protective resources during adversity. In universities and human service organisations, relationships with peers, teams, direct line managers, and supervisors are crucial for enabling insight and growth through critically reflecting on experiences and understanding their impact on professional identity formation and resilience. A disparity emerged between the expectation of available resources as a student and the reality as a newly qualified social worker. The relational nature of resilience has implications for educating social work students and preparing them for practice realities, organisations seeking to sustain a resilient workforce, and practitioners who navigate these complex contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work education
• social work resilience
• workforce wellbeing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Clarissa Hitchcock

Clarissa Hitchcock is a Doctoral Candidate and Associate Lecturer in Social Work, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University. As a qualified social worker, Clarissa worked for over 20 years in direct practice with children and families. Her Doctoral Degree is investigating the role of education in supporting social work students to develop and integrate professional resilience.

Louise Whitaker

Louise Whitaker PhD is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Community Welfare, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University. Her research and practice interests include critical reflection and mental health social work.

Mark Hughes

Mark Hughes (he/him) is Professor of Social Work in the Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University. His research and practice interests centre on ageing and aged care services, social work with older people, and the organisational dimensions of social work practice. Since 2002 he has published widely on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse and queer (LGBTQ+) ageing, which has examined LGBTQ+ health disparities, caregiving networks, loneliness, end-of-life care, and sexual identity expression in aged care. Mark is Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Journal on Ageing.

Lynne McPherson

Dr Lynne McPherson is an Associate Professor, Social Work in the Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University. She is also the Deputy Director of the Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University. Lynne’s research interests include: responses to complex developmental trauma, therapeutic approaches in out-of-home care, child, youth and family issues, and supervision and leadership.