What is the best way to build confidence

[adamsmom]

Hi

I have been doubting my abilities alot lately and it is affecting everything. I know I can do this but something in the back of my brain is saying I can't. I did not have a good clinical evaluation for my first rotation in my 2nd yr. Last year I had good ones, I was not perfect but I did not feel this lousy about myself. When I told this last teacher that I almost quit last semester she asked me what made me stay. Then she said all the teachers want us to become good nurses.

I am having a hard time letting this go. I start Community Nursing next week hopefully I can get my confidence back.

Any sugggestions

[deeDawntee, RN]

I deal with insecurity all the time. It wavers in how much it effects me but it is something I must always be aware of so that I am managing it and it isn't managing me.

This is what I HIGHLY recommend for you. It is a 2 part process.

#1) start hand writing or typing into a computer EVERYTHING you feel about what has happened to you regarding feeling insecure, incompetent, afraid etc. (If you are typing into a computer, be sure you will be able to print off what you have typed). I want you to get it all out. All the fear and the anger and the frustration. I mean all of it, you can do this several ways. You can start from the present and work back, or you can start for the past and work to the present or you can do it in whatever order you want. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Describe situations where you have felt afraid and do it in as much detail as you can. The details are where the feelings are hiding, so the more detail the better. The intention is that you are able to feel the feelings that are buried. This will probably start a grieving process and that is a good thing. If you have someone in your life you can share this with, that would be awesome.

When you have it all written out and all the initial feelings have been expressed. I want you to find somewhere to build a small fire and I want you to burn those pages! I am not kidding! This is very powerful. Get a coffee can and go outside and burn away. See your fears and insecurities from the past evaporate into smoke and be released up into the sky! If you are spiritual, you could even imagine giving those fears to God or the Angels and asking for help in your healing.

#2) Start thinking, writing and speaking affirmations and visualizing positive outcomes. Those negative thoughts and feelings will want to come back if you don't replace them with your own created and positive thinking. You DO have the power to control your thinking!

A lot of people don't know this. If you control your thinking, you control your feeling and your behavior will flow from that.

Some examples: I am a highly competent, compassionate and respected nurse. I am a healer. I can accomplish my goals.

etc. They really need to be yours and always word them in the present. Visualize yourself saving lives, comforting people, educating, relieving pain, having productive interactions with Doctors and coworkers and your managers (or teachers, preceptors etc).

Know that fear has exactly the same bodily sensations as excitement. Even if you think you are afraid, you can do some soothing and affirming self talk that will change that fear into excitement for what you are embarking.

Sometimes people will use something that they carry with them to help them remember how wonderful and special they are. Do you have something, perhaps from Adam, that would help ground you?

[Jedi of Zen]

(OP deleted by moderator)

[dani_girl]

In my school we have antecdotals which we all hate.. but one instructor had us turn them into more of a journal style.. so we would write about our day under each of the 5 C's of nursing.. at the end of the rotation she gave them back and said "Now, look at what you have accomplished." It was really reaffirming. So now I write what i did at clinicals down.. even putting negatives in like "next time I want to be more of a pt advocate and make sure they get their pain med earlier/increased, or whatever.. but rereading stuff makes me realize Holy crap look at all I did.. when I try to think back on stuff I use to be like "oh, I didn't really do anything at clinicals.. I made beds.." now I see and it helps.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Remember:

Pull out from recesses of your mind those times patients have thanked you while in clinicals...it helps to get you through the rough doubting times.

You learn more from your mistakes than you do your success in life. Just follow my tag line....

P.S.: Ignore the dust bunnies at home unless they invade textbooks.