Role Models

[ddawg]

Hi Everyone,

After a lengthy discussion with a teacher about a negative clinical experience, my teached informed me that he saw me as a leader for my class and a role model. He said that my classmates 'look up' to me. He said my body language does not reflect the body language of a role model....I have no idea what this means (even after explaining it to me).

I don't get it...how does one make their body say "hey Im a role model come talk to me"?

Im confused. When my classmates need help and they come to me, I am more than happy to talk to them and help them (within reason....Im not about to carry them through the program haha).

Ideas?

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

Perhaps you should ask your instructor. Sometimes, if one of my friends is pestering me about help with exams while we're studying during dead week, I'll stare intently at my notes and keep my head down while listening to music. It makes me seem more closed off, but hey, a girl's gotta study. That way, she'll see that I'm also preparing for my exams and will feel less compelled to ask me a million questions (unless she really needs help). That's one way I could see body language factoring in.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

I had to at the comment "How does one make their body say "Hey I'm a role model, come talk to me". Then I started thinking, well, really, how does one make their body say "Hey I'm a role model, come talk to me"? But then my mind went straight to "Night at the Roxbury" bar scene and that probably isn't what your instructor had in mind.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

A role model and leader display confidence. I am sure you have seen plenty of people in your life and on TV that have the body language of being confident or meek. When you are walking: back straight, shoulders slightly back, eyes forward. If you are talking to someone: give eye contact when listening to someone (looking down all the time while listening displays submissive), but do look elsewhere occasionally or you will be too intimidating and creepy.

If your instructor has observed that students see you as a role model or leader and you say that other students come to you for advice then you must have the knowledge to help other students. Start showing through your body language that you are confident in the knowledge you have.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

I do remember something about this in a CBL I took...... eye contact at 12 feet, speak at 4 feet. Maybe if you try to have the confidence of the guys in Night at the Roxbury, without the head tilt, you'll nail it.