The Shift Change Coaching Newsletter

Cartoon by:

Deb Gauldin, RN, PMS,
Speaker, Humorist, Author

www.debgauldin.com

Personal practices are positive actions you are willing to take consistently to support your success in nursing & life.

Laughter is good for your soul and your body! Laughter helps to remove stress by causing the release of natural painkillers in the body. Endorphins and adrenaline are also released which result in a natural high, making you feel good about yourself. It’s also a good internal work out. You get the same benefits from laughing one hundred times a day as you can get from rowing for ten minutes. A six-year-old child laughs 300 times a day, but an adult laughs just 47 times a day.

Make a list of how many times you laugh each day.

Repeat daily for 32 days.

Nutrition

Drinking water each day is essential but as the summer months heat up, it is a must! How much do you say? The baseline is ½ your body weight in ounces. For example, someone weighing 150 # would need to drink 75 ounces of water each day. If you are perspiring significantly or drinking caffeine, add additional water. Remember, not all cups are created equal. One cup = 8 ounces, so give yourself credit for a large mug or water bottle.

The Six Keys to Nursing Success Series

1^st Key- Shifting From the One Up Position to Equal Partnership

There are 6 essential keys for nurses to embrace to move from surviving to thriving in nursing:

1. Shifting from the “one- up” position (as the expert, mentor, caretaker) to equal partnership

2. Shifting from selflessness (being last on the list) to self-care

3. Creating work/life balance

4. Establishing boundaries

5. Identifying and learning to live their passion

6. Discovering and integrating personal values into your life

This begins our nursing success article series with the overview of each of these essential keys. The 1^st key is shifting from the “one- up” position (as the expert, mentor, caretaker) to equal partnership.

A shift is defined as a change, transfer or transformation; to exchange one thing for another; to provide for one’s own needs (or the needs of the organization); a change in attitude, judgment or emphasis; 

We define the shift in this 1^st key as shifting out of the professional role as a nurse, into your personal role outside the profession.  Awareness of the shift is the 1^st step.  Then focus on specific actions that queue you in to consciously make the shift each and every day. 

These two ideas came from Duke nursing students during a Shift Change Coaching presentation of the 6 keys.  1. Changing out of your scrubs expediently upon completing your workday is one strategy.  2. Turning on your favorite music as you drive home from work to shift you back to a state of calm and enjoyment is another effective technique. What would be a good choice for you to achieve this shift?

Also be aware of the unique shift from “one up” (others looking up to you) as a nurse to equal partnership.  LEARN TO SHIFT!  People look to nurses for expertise, patient teaching, comfort, strength, calmness, caring and patient care. Other relationships such as the coach/client relationship (for us), romantic relationships, family relationships, friends and professional relationships require mutual respect and striving to be equals.

Staying in your “one up” role constantly creates exhaustion quickly and does not create a balanced life.  Having those in your life who you look up to is also essential. 

Who are your mentors, teachers, parents or others in your life where you are in the “taking in” role, the receiver if you will instead of in constant giving mode? 

You may be asking, “How will this shift benefit the nurse, the nurse’s family, the patients, the organization – the profession?”

Nurses utilizing this shift experience:

• Increased energy

• Recharged enthusiasm

• Amplified passion for work and personal life

• Greater productivity

• More reserves created (time, energy)

• Ability to stay in nursing profession longer

• Prevention of burnout

• Increased fulfillment with career and life

• Smooth transition from student life to professional nursing

• Clarity in choosing nursing specialty

What happens if the nurse and profession do not shift?  Staying in the “one up” mode leads to burn out and nurses leaving the profession.  Decreased quality of care, greater facility liability, increased “call outs” and higher health care costs for staff are other repercussions of failing to make this shift.

Internalizing and practicing the Six Keys to Nursing Success is critical in moving nurses from surviving to thriving!  The July issue of the Shift Change newsletter will explore the 2^nd key to nursing success.  Until then, practice the 1^st key and report your ideas and successes on the Shift Change Blog.

Best regards,

Merrily Sable, RN, BSN and Betsy Smith, PhD

Merrily Sable

Ph: 919-413-7888

Fax: 314-563-9986

msable@shiftchangecoaching.com

Betsy Smith

Ph: 919-521-4743

Fax: 314-563-9986

bsmith@shiftchangecoaching.com