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?
In 1983, my first nursing instructor said, "Sometimes you will be fired for doing the right thing".
I was a bulldog when it came to injustices or others behaving without principles and somebody was affected. However, I did not try to correct that bulldog trait to the very end.
I lost my job yet saved my integrity.
"Once you give up integrity, the rest is a piece of cake."
-J.R. Ewing
In my 3rd year of nursing I had to do something similar. Young nurse forced to make a very difficult decision, and it took me awhile to process through it all, and "get over it". Looking back I can say it was really the wiser thing to do and I am really glad I made that choice.
Sidenote: something about that quote you shared has me a bit confused LOL. I am very curious about it and trying to figure it out its meaning.
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 have ADHD. I can get tunnel vision, which can put off some people. It's sincerely accidental.. and it is still annoying for others. A few weeks ago I approached a nurse who seemed to be just really bothered by me and she straight up told me that she thought I was weird. I am kind of used to that so even though its not nice to hear, those kind of comments don't bring me down so much anymore. Have grown some thicker skin with it all.
It can be hard to figure out what I should be focusing on sometimes. It's like everything is all equally important, and that can be overwhelming. However, I don't miss details, and it's a useful trait when working in the ICU.
It can be hard to figure out what I should be focusing on sometimes. It's like everything is all equally important, and that can be overwhelming. However, I don't miss details, and it's a useful trait when working in the ICU.
I don't notice things. I've been known to not realize that the Christmas tree was taken down, and all the decorations gone!
Nurses are supposed to notice and act on problems before they get too big. I have to actively look for things when I do my initial assessment. It's a handicap.
On the other hand, this comes in handy as I work private duty in the homes. I can easily ignore most of the family dynamics that really are none of my business.
I'm the person at the staff meeting who says out loud what everyone else is thinking but are too chicken to say it.
Yep, I'm guilty of the same thing.
My good quality/bad fault...I don't allow myself to be treated like a doormat. Assertiveness is great, until TPTB are trying to walk on you, then they call you "hard to work with" and "not a team player". Sorry, not sorry, if I'm just following company policy, your facility rules, state and CMS regs, and other etc.
I don't notice things. I've been known to not realize that the Christmas tree was taken down, and all the decorations gone!
Nurses are supposed to notice and act on problems before they get too big. I have to actively look for things when I do my initial assessment. It's a handicap.
On the other hand, this comes in handy as I work private duty in the homes. I can easily ignore most of the family dynamics that really are none of my business.
I envy that. I would totally get sucked into the weeds and get burnt out before I even realized why
I think I got thrown off by the "integrity" bit: to me it sounded like you were giving up your own integrity, which had me like "ummm, that doesnt sound like such a good thing." - and that may just how I have received it initially. instead it just sounds like you're better at choosing what to focus on, and with that, are better with setting boundaries that protect your self... which is something that I am not so great at
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
6 hours ago, BeatsPerMinute said:
just sounds like you're better at choosing what to focus on, and with that, are better with setting boundaries that protect your self... which is something that I am not so great at
Yes, knowing our priorities and boundaries is a portion of being a person of integrity.
Adhering to beliefs and principles, which are always put before personalities, qualifies one as a person of integrity.
I was not about to give up my belief (everyone needs to adhere to certain courtesies, codes of conduct, P&P, state laws & statutes) just because I was threatened.
Once I gave up my principles and beliefs, which are my life stance, I could give up anything- it'd be a piece of cake.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
On 3/13/2022 at 12:54 PM, Hoosier_RN said:
My good quality/bad fault...I don't allow myself to be treated like a doormat. Assertiveness is great, until TPTB are trying to walk on you, then they call you "hard to work with" and "not a team player". Sorry, not sorry, if I'm just following company policy, your facility rules, state and CMS regs, and other etc.
Members' personality traits come through in their posting, and before I go on, I wish to note that I say this with all due love & respect. Besides, this is only my opinion which matters as much or as little as you deem necessary.
On a scale, a spectrum, Hoosier, I saw you as being in the medium when it came to acidity level. You are 7, neutral, not too sweet, but not tart. Whereas members like Emergent and me are more acidic. Emergent's about a 4 and I'm 2 or 3.
JBMmom is on the other end of the scale, more alkaline, basic, and is an emulsion to types like me. In an intervention with an acting out patient, JBMmom would always play the good cop and I would always play the bad.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
1 hour ago, Davey Do said:
On a scale, a spectrum, Hoosier, I saw you as being in the medium when it came to acidity level. You are 7, neutral, not too sweet, but not tart. Whereas members like Emergent and me are more acidic. Emergent's about a 4 and I'm 2 or 3.
JBMmom is on the other end of the scale, more alkaline, basic, and is an emulsion to types like me. In an intervention with an acting out patient, JBMmom would always play the good cop and I would always play the bad.
Members' personality traits come through in their posting, and before I go on, I wish to note that I say this with all due love & respect. Besides, this is only my opinion which matters as much or as little as you deem necessary.
On a scale, a spectrum, Hoosier, I saw you as being in the medium when it came to acidity level. You are 7, neutral, not too sweet, but not tart. Whereas members like Emergent and me are more acidic. Emergent's about a 4 and I'm 2 or 3.
JBMmom is on the other end of the scale, more alkaline, basic, and is an emulsion to types like me. In an intervention with an acting out patient, JBMmom would always play the good cop and I would always play the bad.
Like I said, it's only my opinion.
I like your description of me so much better than most of my coworkers' descriptions. But they're 20/30 somethings that want to play on their phones/hide from work. They think I'm mean for telling them that they're getting paid to work, not play
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
12 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:
I like your description of me so much better than most of my coworkers' descriptions. But they're 20/30 somethings that want to play on their phones/hide from work. They think I'm mean for telling them that they're getting paid to work, not play
"Oh, youth oh youth did you see all that light, and the dusk and the dawn and the night?" -Jackson Worth
We know everything there is to know when we are young, and you old folks don't know what you're talking about.
BeatsPerMinute, BSN, RN
398 Posts
In my 3rd year of nursing I had to do something similar. Young nurse forced to make a very difficult decision, and it took me awhile to process through it all, and "get over it". Looking back I can say it was really the wiser thing to do and I am really glad I made that choice.
Sidenote: something about that quote you shared has me a bit confused LOL. I am very curious about it and trying to figure it out its meaning.