Voice of The Nurses

Month: October 2017

Dare to Do it in spite of your fear

Dare to do it, in spite of your fear is a phrase that should resonate with us all.We all feel fear-it is a natural human response. What is different amongst us is how we choose to respond to that fear. Some people become paralyzed with the fear and thus remain in the same position, others become motivated by their fears and choose to push forward through those fears. So our responses really is what differentiates us from staying or moving forward.

Starting as a new graduate in nursing (even if you had previously been in a different field) can be daunting, but you need to stop and remind yourself of why you chose to go into nursing in the first place. You do not need to justify your reasons with anyone- they are yours and yours alone and yes, nursing is a profession.

Find a group of like minded people who can motivate you on those low days, while still remembering that you ultimately are responsible for your outcome. Stop giving away your power to fear. The first time you do something that scares you, you feel afraid but also immense power because you realize that you have been holding yourself captive in a place where you have all the power.

Fear can be one of two thing, if you allow it. It could be a powerful motivator or a detractor- the choice lies with you. Is there something at the back of your mind that you have constantly thought of doing but continue to keep buried for reasons that you keep making up. If the reasons are not valid, realize that those thoughts are powerful and are holding you back and choose to take action in spite of your fear.

I once had a situation of where I needed to make a presentation in front of a large class. For several days to this event, I fretted about the presentation and constantly worked on my presentations. My thought process was maybe if I had all my ducks in a row then I would be more confident, which helped some but not a whole lot. What helped was me realizing that it all depended on me. Was I going to let the fear of whatever it was hold me back or would I choose to swallow my fear, be brave and make that presentation. I chose the latter and it was the beginning of a great many presentations. I still have the voice shakes, every now and then, but I also came out on top because in the defining moment, I realized that I was very capable.

And so are you! Regardless of whatever negative self talks you may have given yourself, you are stronger than you know, so before you decide to walk away from that project or give it all up, try just one more time and this time, do it in spite of your fear.Dare to do it

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Everyone is Responsible for a Positive Work Culture

A Positive work culture is one which is full of trust and creates a warm atmosphere for everyone to grow. A positive culture is NOT entirely dependent on employers alone; employees also have a stake in creating a positive work culture where your team mates want to work as well and grow.

Four Tips on Creating a Positive Work Culture

  1. Be welcoming- As an employee, go proactive. Reach out and welcome new employees to the fold. You don’t have to become best buddies, but you can help make the transition into a new work place easier for the new person

    Positive work Culture

  2. Keep Gossip to a Minimum: Gossip will always happen, so saying no to it completely is not a sensible thing. As much as possible, keep away from hurtful gossip, if you must gossip, find something to say that will be encouraging to another and not ill gossip.
  3. Build Each Other Up: A good way to quickly create a positive work culture is to learn how to become a builder of your co-worker. Find ways to build on your co-worker’s strengths. Everyone has their strength of which they are good at and all it take is for someone to find it. so why not be that person and find that strength to build up your co-worker.
  4. Smile: A little smile goes a long way and costs nothing. You may not always be in the very best frame of mind and that it totally okay but remember that a smile is contagious and everyone feels drawn to a person who smiles and feels happy.  Be one of those and make your work place, a positive one.
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The Business of HealthCare

Healthcare these days is purely daylight robbery! Zero price standardization, markups everywhere. People do go broke simply from healthcare bills alone. Knowing this, wouldn’t one expect that business management would be taught in medical and nursing schools? Right? Wrong!

Healthcare management should not be left in the hands of executives to manage it- the front line staff need to understand the business behind it all. That way, it makes more sense to take only supplies that you will need into a patient’s room and not excess which then goes to waste.Business of Healthcare

It would help the physician understand that running all those unnecessary tests won’t make the patient heal faster any quicker but rather determine the test needed and run that.

It would help the tech understand that taking in different bags of briefs into a patient’s room for convenience hurts the bottom line when one exact brief for the patient would have sufficed.

It would help the nurse understand that all all that alcohol swabs, or is it the saline flushes helps no one when you stockpile it to be thrown away after the pt is discharged when a handful would have been sufficient.

It would help the respiratory therapist understand that taking in so many supplies of different sizes is NOT helpful to the patient when you could find the one you needed and then some!

It would help the phlebotomist understand that discarding all those unused text tubes never did any good and would come back to bite…on the bottom line.

Healthcare is expensive enough as it… curb wasteful practices!

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It’s Abuse Not Burn-out

Abuse not Burn-out!

If you are yelled at, it’s abuse not burn-out

If you are bullied at work; it’s abuse not burn-out

If you supervisor or co-worker verbally harasses you; it is abuse not burn-out

If you have unsafe patient load; it’s abuse not burn-out Abuse not burn out

Let us recognize abuse for what it is and not confuse it with burn-out. If as healthcare workers , we advocate for our patients, we should certainly be able to use the same parameter to recognize abuse and advocate for ourselves.

Abuse is debilitating- recognize it for what it is and stand up against it. it may be just one of you at the very beginning but for every one moment that you stand up against abuse, you grow stronger and soon it becomes a movement.

If you don’t speak out against abuse, who will? Abusers are usually coward and what it takes is for you to stand up just once. You may not be liked for it- but you will be respected for it.

Say no to abuse, not just for your patients but for yourself as well, you owe you that much. And if you won’t do it for you- do it for the people that will one day be in your position.

Read Here and HereAbuse not Burn out

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Signs YOUR Employee is stabbing you in the back

Workplace politics can be a dangerous mine field to navigate.Recently wrote a blog post on how not to be intimidated by your employee ( see here). But are there times when you DO need to worry? The answer is Yes! Here are  signs to recognize on when your employee is trying to shaft you.

  1. Closed Doors- Nothing good usually comes out of closed doors. When you find your employee constantly behind closed doors with one or more co-workers, chances are they are whispering about you and working on a plan of action against you.
  2. Going Above You; Whenever your employee goes above your head without consulting you, it is one of two things. First, they want recognition from a superior and second they are usually trying to make you look bad.

    Toxic Work place

  3. Your Gut Instincts Warn you- Over time, your gut instincts have been honed by previous experiences and as such is usually a good warning signal when something is about to go wrong. Always follow your guts and protect yourself. If you have a suspicion about your junior employee, you are right in some way- the goal is to avert the trouble before it comes upon you.
  4. Divided Team: When that employee disagrees with you publicly in a very nice, sugary way, your antenna should really go up. What they are really doing is aligning against you. They are making it out that YOU are the problem to the growth of the company; they agree, but it is just you that disagrees, so with you out of the way, work should run smoother. In this scenario, they have put the blame squarely on your shoulders.

Be Proactive- you worked hard for your position, so work also on keeping it. It is hard to find loyalty in a work place full of politics, so don’t expect it. Welcome it when it is there but don’t go about looking for it- you avoid disappointments this way.

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