Has anyone ever thought about how their own personal qualities can both help and hinder them in their nursing practice?
For example, I've been very frustrated at work lately. When I think about why, one thing that comes to mind is my desire to be efficient, productive and successful. I'm very detailed and goal-oriented and set out everyday with a list of things I hope to accomplish.
This mindset is a strength in that I am typically very good at ensuring that all important issues are addressed. However, it is a weakness because I can become very frustrated when things don't go as planned. I become annoyed when a patient’s preferences or needs change my plan for the day or the week. In my mind, I know my work is about the patient, and not myself. However, my desire to accomplish every goal every day, and my tendency to be very list-focused, sometimes causes me to forget this. I get angry when I'm not able to get something done, and I have to take breaks to adjust my priorities. I force myself to focus on the patients and not on myself. This can be very challenging for me to do when I'm frustrated.
I can also be a bit of a perfectionist--I don't like any mistakes of any kind. Therefore, when I am working on something that requires me to focus on the details, such as entering a medication order, I get easily annoyed when someone interrupts me. I forget that they are just looking for help and not trying to bother me. On the plus side, I have found and corrected many mistakes by being detail oriented.
How about you? What are your examples? How do you try to correct your weaknesses to make you a better nurse?
I can't help but noticing and proclaiming the existence of patterns.
On typical pattern on these forums is "We nurses are good and those administrators are bad" Over and over and over again into infinity.
People like to play the good victims and wallow in the mire as they wear their thorny crown. And rarely does the discussion go beyond the endless ping pong game of "yep, they're bad" *bop!* "that's because we're good" *bop!* back and forth and back and forth.
"If only they'd change, everything would be alright."
"Yep, we don't need to change because we're nurses and we're good."
And so it goes.
Of course that's the usual way those conversations go. For the vast majority of nurses we are working because we can't afford not to. Our complaints, no matter how valid have about about zero influence on the decision makers in those administrative offices and in many cases rocking the boat too hard becomes a one way ticket off the merry-go-round.
The only viable option to get off the merry-go-round voluntarily becomes looking for a different job which may or may not be an improvement over their current situation. So even changing employment voluntarily is a bit of a risk as the grass is definitely not always greener.
Feeling somewhat powerless in your career, knowing at the end of the day you have no real influence in policy decisions that directly affect your ability to do your job and knowing your options for alternate employment are likely limited and likely no better than where you are is a hard pill to swallow. Hence the administration bad, nurses good mantra. We have to have some outlet where we can somewhat safely vent our frustration's and this site with it's cover of anonymonity fits the bill.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
13 minutes ago, Wuzzie said:
I'm the person at the staff meeting who says out loud what everyone else is thinking but are too chicken to say it.
Wuzzie, this reminds me of something I blurted out at a department meeting when the director made the comment, "We are going to change the culture of this community and its environs".
I had promised myself to say nothing but instead spoke up with, "You say you are going to change the collective consciousness of the hospital AND the surrounding community?!"
The director went into a long, long speech, which what I initially was trying to avoid, seeings how I had just gotten off a MN shift.
As soon as I could, I said, "Well, I can really appreciate your endeavor".
My work wife Eleanor made comment that after I said that, her eyes rolled in her head so loudly, she was afraid it could be beard all over the room.
Has anyone ever thought about how their own personal qualities can both help and hinder them in their nursing practice?
Am I the only one who just wants to take good care of my patients, get treated with respect, clock out, get paid and go home? Who doesn't really give it all that much thought as nursing is just a small part of who I am and definitely not the most important part?
While I think it is important to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses, part of the problem with nurses in general is that we spend way too much of our emotional energy in this profession to the point where we are constantly picking ourselves apart and second-guessing ourselves. IMHO, it isn't healthy.
And yes, I am aiming this at you SilverBells. I know other posters have said this, but stop picking yourself apart. You deserve better.
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
3 minutes ago, ThePrincessBride said:
Am I the only one who just wants to take good care of my patients, get treated with respect, clock out, get paid and go home? Who doesn't really give it all that much thought as nursing is just a small part of who I am and definitely not the most important part?
I am trying to work on that. I already worked too many hours while my kids were young, because I was trying to advance my career/education while working one or two jobs. Now my kids are old enough that it doesn't impact them as much that I work 50-60 hours a week, and here I am still doing it. The past two years I did it because the hospital situation was so tough in our unit and we were short staffed with really sick people. Was I REALLY the only one that could come in and help out? No. But everyone knew if they asked I would be there.
Along with the inability to prioritize well, I become righteously indignant easily when I see things that I think need to be addressed. Again, they are sometimes misplaced priorities, but at the time they seem to me to be worth my time and effort.
I keep thinking "someday" I'm going to work only my 36 hours and enjoy things like days off to go hiking, spend time with my kids, or find other pursuits. I'm not there yet, and I'm still catching up a bit financially, but I someday hope to get to where you already are.
I am an exceptionally impatient person. It causes me to drive my career forward and develop new skills as I keep looking for the next thing. It can also help me advocate for my patients because I’m not really willing to sit around all shift waiting for orders and things my patient needs. I am a squeaky wheel when I think my patient needs something. However, I’m sure anyone can understand how impatience can hinder me both professionally and personally. Sometimes I’m just so impatient I don’t even wait reasonably long enough to let someone get to my issue before I’m bugging them...I’m kind of annoying. I try to work on this, but it’s like my mind is moving at a speed I can’t control and it’s so unreasonable but it’s hard to see that in the moment.
Am I the only one who just wants to take good care of my patients, get treated with respect, clock out, get paid and go home? Who doesn't really give it all that much thought as nursing is just a small part of who I am and definitely not the most important part?
No.
But taking good care of my patients means a good deal of stress so sometimes I just need to talk about it. It may seem it's all we think about but this is a nursing forum and it's skewed towards our issues, learning and self-reflection.
I've been at it long enough that the stress isn't all that consuming. I'm pretty much able to go home and brush it off and enjoy my life outside of nursing.
I wouldn't say nursing is "just a small part of who I am" because it takes a good chunk of my life and is stressful but like you it's not the most important part.
kbrn2002, ADN, RN
3,965 Posts
Of course that's the usual way those conversations go. For the vast majority of nurses we are working because we can't afford not to. Our complaints, no matter how valid have about about zero influence on the decision makers in those administrative offices and in many cases rocking the boat too hard becomes a one way ticket off the merry-go-round.
The only viable option to get off the merry-go-round voluntarily becomes looking for a different job which may or may not be an improvement over their current situation. So even changing employment voluntarily is a bit of a risk as the grass is definitely not always greener.
Feeling somewhat powerless in your career, knowing at the end of the day you have no real influence in policy decisions that directly affect your ability to do your job and knowing your options for alternate employment are likely limited and likely no better than where you are is a hard pill to swallow. Hence the administration bad, nurses good mantra. We have to have some outlet where we can somewhat safely vent our frustration's and this site with it's cover of anonymonity fits the bill.