Resilience among Rural Public Health Leaders during the Covid‐19 Pandemic

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

Datos Bibliográficos

ID24020550
AutoresMarta McMillion (0009-0003-1078-0514, Medical College of Wisconsin, autor de correspondencia), Brenna Bernardin (Columbia College - South Carolina), David Nelson (0000-0003-1163-1222, Medical College of Wisconsin)
Año2026
Volumen42
Número3
Páginase70204-e70204
Fecha de publicación2026-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaThe Journal of Rural Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0890-765X • E-ISSN: 1748-0361
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jrh.70204
PMID42569834
OpenAlexW7201999344
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas32

Purpose This study explored how rural public health leaders in Wisconsin experienced and sustained resilience during the COVID‐19 pandemic, with particular attention to the role of relational connections across professional, personal, and community domains. Methods Using hermeneutic phenomenology, the study examined the lived experiences of rural county health officers and other supervisory leaders. Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted via Zoom between September and November 2023. Participants were purposively sampled from rural counties, as defined by the National Center for Health Statistics' Urban‐Rural Classification Scheme. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed through iterative coding and synthesis. Findings Resilience was closely linked to the embeddedness of rural communities. Longstanding trust, shared history, and a sense of mutual responsibility strengthened leaders’ resolve. At the same time, this closeness also increased feelings of scrutiny, blurred personal and professional boundaries, and exposed leaders and their families to hostility. Leaders relied on tightly knit staff teams, cross‐jurisdictional peer networks, and supportive governing officials. Conclusions In rural settings, resilience is co‐constructed through community connections. Strengthening peer support and preparing governing bodies to lead with empathy are important for sustaining this workforce.

Closeness · Embeddedness · Empathy · Feeling · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Psychological resilience · Public health · Qualitative research · Rural area · Rural health · Community Health and Development · Global Health Workforce Issues · Public Health Policies and Education