Mindset shifts. As a Reiki Nurse and Nurse Coach, I get to interact with a whole host of nurses. From home care to the bedside, from administration to education, from nurse entrepreneurs to brand new graduates- I’m blessed with the opportunity to connect with you all!
And these interactions have consisted of a variety of methods: phone, Skype, in person, written survey, etc. I’ve asked you over and over: “What’s your biggest challenge?”
While ‘time’, having the time to do the things we want to, has consistently ranked as the nurses’ greatest stressor- a new theme has emerged this summer.
Nurses are telling me they worry. And on top of worry, you want help with letting go of attachment.
First off: Thank you! I so appreciate your feedback, responses, answers, and interaction with me. Hearing from you, in such an honest and open way, helps me share with you what I know. But greater than that, it helps me share with you what you want and need the most.
As we talk this month all about receptivity, I realize that being able to shift from a ‘giving nurse’ to a nurse who is balanced in giving-receiving abilities is fundamentally mindset related.
I can’t just tell you: “Stop giving. Start receiving. Balance yourself out. You can do it.” You’re likely to want to stomp on my foot. I can’t just show you: “This is how it’s done. Model my words and actions. Do what I do.”
While telling and showing you are both parts of it- they do not make up the entire picture.
You’ve got to want to change. You’ve got to desire something different. This requires not only new tools, behaviors, and actions but more importantly- mindset and heart-set shifts.
Going from a dominantly giving mindset/heart-set to one that is more balanced (with both giving AND receiving) requires transformation. There are steps to take, energy that is involved, and lessons to be learned. This requires time, effort, and support. It won’t happen overnight.
Trust me; I’ve done the work… I’m doing the work. I’m constantly evolving and progressing.
It’s time for a serious change. You’ll know it when you’re ready. You’ll be open to and looking for more. You’ll want tools and support. You’ll be open to receiving more.
If you’re interested in letting go of attachment, worrying less, and enjoying more consider joining me for my upcoming course: ‘Rejuvenate ME!’
In this course I will take you through:
- The steps, shifts (mindset and heart-set), and spiritual practices that go into transformation;
- Exercises and reflections that will help you release some ‘should’s’ that can lead us to guilt, stress, and struggle;
- Experiential activities where you will regain focus, reconnect with self, and re-establish joy;
- Practical applications that you can begin to use and practice in your daily life.
I invite you to consider this program. You can find out more about ‘Rejuvenate ME!’ on the course page.
If after viewing the course page you’re still not sure, come join us tonight for ‘Stomp Stinkin’ Think in’, a preview call which will help you learn more. For call in details and to register, visit here.
I love your idea of a “nurse who is balanced in giving-receiving abilities” . This is a totally different idea than society’s image of nursing. Nurses are usually portrayed as a altruistic sacrificial angel of mercy that gives and cares for others, but not themselves. The view is even perpetuated by some nurses. Of course, the result is nurse burnout, patient dissatisfaction, and even poor patient outcomes.
I would love for the image of nursing to change to a more balanced view such as you suggest.
Hi Erica!
Thank you so much for your comment!! Even reading your comment as you write it to me now, makes me go back over my words and feel “YES! YES! We CAN do this!!” I believe our profession is ready for a huge shift. As you say, the altruistic, sacrificial angel of mercy days- I believe those are going out of fashion! Let’s you and me- and nurses all over the globe- start to embrace the ability we all have to balance giving and receiving! Thank you for your comment and inspiring me even further along this path tonight.
Have a healthy day,
Elizabeth
This reminds me of an incident that occured the other morning after a third and very busy and hectic night of work. As part of my charge nurse duties, I had made the assigment for the morning shift. The charge nurse had worked the previous day and we try to give them the same assignment if we can but I needed to change one patient because the patient had made a request for only “experienced” nurses to care for him. We have quite a few new grads and although some are very good, he had a couple negative experiences and wanted only the ones with experience. I gave him to the morning charge nurse and switched one of her other patients to one of the new grads. She has been an RN for about 40 yrs but immediately started complaining. I was tired, sore, exhausted, and still had charting to complete after report. Why was she doing this to me? Well, her negativity was sort of like the “wave” you see at a ball game and went through the entire day shift! It seemed to infect the rest of the staff. Before I knew it I had the day CNA complaining about something the night CNA had done. The O.T. started complaining about something that turned out just to be a mis-communication. The charge nurse started to complain about everything under the sun! I wanted to scream, “STOP THE MADNESS!” I’m usually calm, happy, friendly and glad to see the day shift. This day I realized how quickly one word or sentence can infect an entire unit. How quickly calm can turn chaotic.
As nurses we are so used to giving that we tend to be quiet and let things just roll off our backs. We give, give, give and are used to not recieving. We don’t think twice about always giving and get nothing. As I listened to all these complaints I thougth of your talks about giving and receiving during other webinars and blogs. I had given of myself with all that I had all night long and here I was in the middle of a storm that came out of nowhere. I was also “receiving” a lot of flack that wasn’t appropriate. So after report I chose to “receive” some apologies! I hadn’t done anything to deserve this sudden storm of complaints. People were just in a bad mood. I went to each co-worker and told them why things were the way they were and what had happened in each instance. I also explained that it wasn’t appropriate in front of new staff, family and patients to act in that manner. Each one then backed off and realized that they had gone a bit too far and apologized. I had “received” apologies! As insignificant and silly as it may sound, at the end of my shift I had “received”! Thank you, Liz! You gave me the strength to stand up and speak up allowing myself to “receive” some kindness and apologies.