So today was our last clinical day, not done with the semester yet, still got some stuff to do with my students such as simulation and exams (yuck!) but we have completed the clinical days in the pediatric area. We all felt like we had achieved something big. This group of students were particularly good, but they did not start off that way. On their first day they all looked terrified and I could see their fear getting in the way of their competency, especially their critical thinking skills, so essential to a competent nurse. Some of them would literally freeze with fear when faced with a situation where they had to make a decision or answer a question correctly. With gentle coaching, one on one mentoring and assurances they had a soft place to fall I have seen all of them grow. It got me thinking that we profess to be a caring profession, especially in pediatrics we promote family centered care, caring for the whole family. We need to learn how to care for the whole nurse. Horizontal violence in nursing is a growing problem, one I have been a victim of and have left jobs over. How can we care for the patients and families in our care if we cannot care for each other.
It surprised me how I would ask these young nurses a simple question of "How are you?" with truly a listening heart and all this "stuff" would pour out. Some of them had major issues going on in their life's which undoubtedly pours over into their work and study lives.
Now we have a break for Thanksgiving, sooo excited, only 4 sleeps until my boys come home from University for a few days. Then we complete the semester and we all evaluate, calculate grades and find what I can do better and improve upon for the next semester.
So, send me your thoughts.
- How can nurses care for each other without violating the boundaries of privacy?
- How does bullying show up in your workplace and what are you past experiences?
- What strategies can we develop to universally make nursing a more caring profession and try and prevent that very expensive phenomenon of burn out?
I agree that we seem to have lost something from our profession (was it ever there?). As money and budgets get tighter the expectation to do more and more within the day job, and to work over hours from good will (implying that if you don’t you have bad will?). Add to this many areas that have pulled right back on training so that nothing but mandatory stuff (CPR/fire in case that term doesn’t translate) is allowed, and often that is done in people’s own time. The caring stuff, like supervision, debrief, get squeezed out. And this is just the formal stuff. Is the lack of informal friendliness, caring, a sign of a more insular society? As neighbours do we look after each other? In the UK this is sorely lacking.
ReplyDeleteAs for bullying, I think it’s often down to misuse of power, and it usually arises from insecurity. I have seen, and experienced, that subtle, passive aggressive bullying, the withholding of information, not being included in key communications or vital meetings. Or the ‘I’m not happy because I’m being treated badly so I’ll take it out on you’.
What do we do about it? Well I think you’re in a vital place – we start with the next generation of nurses, and show them there’s another way, plus we teach them strategies for how to deal with it when others try to work on them. And we influence where we are, demonstrating that other way. And occasionally we walk away……you and me both.