Psych RN-ASN to motivational speaker?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have 15 years experience working in inpatient psych. I love educating my patients on positive vs negative coping skills. In my spare time I love to read about the subject of happiness and things we can do to become happier people. My question is do you think I can become a motivational speaker and combine my experience as a psych RN-ASN with information I have learned over the years on the subject of happiness even though I only have two associates degrees? Thoughts?

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No, I dont think you can

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

It is great that you enjoy educating patients and study the subject of happiness, femaleRN. You have found a niche where you can both give and receive and feel good about it.

I can identify with you, as I was really into giving lectures and gaining more knowledge some years ago. However, I focused more on my Art and pursued that interest. I hadn't taken an Art class since high school, but was able to do shows, win awards, establish a reputation, become rather well known, and make some money in the years when I did the public Art thing.

I guess I'm saying that if you want to become a motivational speaker, go for it. I did a lot of free Art instruction, volunteering, in the beginning, went to schools and shared my interests with students. You'll probably have to do the same.

Good luck to you, femaleRN!

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I have 15 years experience working in inpatient psych. I love educating my patients on positive vs negative coping skills. In my spare time I love to read about the subject of happiness and things we can do to become happier people. My question is do you think I can become a motivational speaker and combine my experience as a psych RN-ASN with information I have learned over the years on the subject of happiness even though I only have two associates degrees? Thoughts?

I've always thought of motivational speakers as snake-oil salesmen. They have a way of sniffing out the gullible, then shaking them down for whatever pocket change they happen to have. The fact that you're humble enough to ask this question makes me think that you're not up to the task ...at least not on any money-making sort of level.

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You would have to take extra care to maintain awareness of the inherent problems of decorum: Everyone knows someone who has struggled with a mental health issue; perhaps even they themselves have. You'll have a whole social theory thing to defend if you're not careful. Meaning, generally-speaking people do not require inpatient psychiatric treatment merely because they aren't "happy" enough - - OR, if they are "unhappy," it is generally chemically-mediated (not something they can always decide to change without any help). In otherwords, the type of happiness (or unhappiness) involved in psychiatric illness is not so much fodder solely for a motivational speaker, and care would have to be used lest you inadvertently imply that it is. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you may indeed have skills and personality to motivate others, but bringing in your expertise with psychiatric nursing may imply that the things you saw and treated as nurse were due to "unhappiness." Even to the extent that there could be truth to it, you'd have to go about that very carefully and I'm guessing would offend a great number of people in the process. Psychiatric concerns already have a stigma due to misunderstanding - I know you would not want to feed that.

Not trying to be negative here. Could you give an example of an applicable lesson about happiness that you learned through psych nursing? Maybe your idea would work if you talked about your own experience with happiness as opposed to problems you saw in others.

Interesting idea.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I think it's doable. Other people have carved out niches for themselves and they present at wellness fairs and other venues. They're not necessarily selling anything. Check out a company called Verbal Impact. I think it's a one-woman enterprise in the Pacific Northwest. She might be receptive to giving your more information. Good luck.

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Thank you so much, great points. It's getting me thinking more in depth. I'm thinking maybe I could change the focus to Taking Care of Our Mental Health, a preventative approach. All of us, especially I think Americans could have more self awareness of our negative coping skills vs the positive and a pep talk about the stigma of mental health and how the brain is like any other organ of the body and the importance of taking care of our mental health and the avenues to do so.

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If you enjoy public speaking, maybe you can start by taking a mental health first aid course, then take the courses to become an instructor? If you are interested, you can check out the courses on mental health first aid USA.

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I didn't even know such thing was available. Thanks.

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You can do whatever you want to do as evidenced by your screen name! :yes::sarcastic::happy:

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
No, I dont think you can

Well Tony Robbins, one of the most successful motivational speakers in our time received no formal education past high school. My question to you is how are your public speaking skills? I would suggest that you join something like Toast Masters international and practice the skills you need to engage a large audience. Then It's all about marketing and networking. You also have to have an angle that makes what you are saying different in some way from what other speaker's are offering. You might try making some You Tube videos as well. If you attract a following you might be invited to speak in person somewhere.

Good luck in your endeavor

Hppy

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Thanks! :)

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