Authentically Joycelynn

Living My Best Authentic Life

Nursing

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Your Next Shift: A Book Review, by Nurse Author/Entrepreneur, Elizabeth Scala

Your Next Shift

Your Next Shift

I was honored to be asked to read this very authentically written book by Elizabeth Scala, Your Next Shift: How to Kick Your Nursing Career into High Gear.  I saw my own life through the eyes of her writing. Clearly, I could identify with the feelings Elizabeth has felt. She very honestly spoke about her own struggles, feelings of self-doubt, and ultimately the breakthroughs she has experienced. Your Next Shift is a must read for all nurses who are considering a change in nursing career focus, a nurse who wants to explore entrepreneurship, or any nurse struggling  in their current role.

If you haven’t already read Nursing From Within: A Fresh Alternative to Putting Out Fires and Self-Care Workarounds, also by Elizabeth Scala, I would highly suggest you obtain this book as well for your nursing tool belt. Both books are essential for today’s nurse, especially in the ever changing health care system we find ourselves in today. (just needed to put a plug in for Nursing From Within, because I also found it so inspiring)

As I was reading Your Next Shift, I found myself thinking about my own struggles and victories related to mindset, self-care, and being authentic in my own nursing career. Each chapter became a checklist for me as I asked myself “Am I meeting this goal? Have I considered this option? Are my actions in alignment with my heart and focus?”

yournextshift

 

Putting the Pieces Together

I’m an avid puzzler.  LOVE the 2000 piece puzzles! In the winter time, it’s especially nice to be working on a puzzle project. It’s very calming and it’s a nice change to get off the electronics (which we all need time away from). Your Next Shift is made up of puzzle pieces which Elizabeth Scala puts together in the most healing way. She uses a “line upon line, precept upon precept” approach, as she starts with her story (and most parts I identified so strongly, I thought she was writing about me). She then starts at the beginning, with analysis of where we are and where we see ourselves. She discusses our mindset (so important), and then begins to share how to make that shift from where you are to where your heart/focus is.

Here are Elizabeth’s books easily located on Amazon:

Nursing From WithinYour Next Shift

 

When you finish Your Next Shift, don’t set it aside! It’s really a “how to” manual and you will be referring to it time and time again. Whether you want to find more joy in your current job, (and you need to learn how to shift your mindset), or you want to make a shift into another nursing focus, or you want to explore being a nurse entrepreneur: this is the book for you!

Elizabeth Scala and I met as we are both nurse bloggers. We both are passionate about well-being, self-care, and nurse entrepreneurship! (I think that’s why I just LOVE to read her posts). My focus and passion is more directed toward women who are cancer survivors, and women going through mid-life transition, while Elizabeth is passionate about empowering nurses!

Elizabeth’s blog can be found at ElizabethScala.com and you can also purchase her books directly from her website.

~ Authentically Joycelynn

 

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Your Personal and Professional Wellness as a Stressed Out Nurse

Are You A Stressed Out Nurse?

Are you a stressed out nurse? As nurses, it is our responsibility to take classes, courses, and workshops to grow during our career. Advances in procedures, medications, and scientific breakthroughs make it imperative to continue our education, especially in the area of our expertise. Without growth we would become stagnant in our field. We can also become overwhelmed and stressed out due to all the changes around us. Continuing education is one way to continue our professional growth.

One of the best ways to find continuing education targeted toward your field, is to join an association related to your chosen specialty. I’ve been an Oncology Nurse for 16 years, and for the most part have been a member of the Oncology Nursing Society. I’ve attended some of their sponsored conferences, and even headed a local Oncology nurses group where we were able to have speakers come in with programs and approved CEU’s. Most professional nursing organizations have a journal or magazine, and withing those publications are often continuing education opportunities.

Watson Caring Science Institute

My other favorite group at this time is the Holistic Nurses Association. During a time when I was pursuing a BSN, (just as a disclaimer I didn’t quite finish that due to a family priority, but was just a few months away from it)  I was introduced to Dr. Jean Watson and her 10 Caritas. Dr. Watson founded the Watson Caring Science Institute and it was during this time I began to see my own personal growth as something imperative for my own wellness. I had become a stressed out nurse along my journey, and sought for ways to balance and become more resilient.

I’ve purchased the Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice, and if this is an area of interest to you,  a program can be completed which will allow a nurse to earn 65 credit hours! What an awesome way to obtain nursing credits and grow professionally while also adding tools to enhance your own personal growth and wellness.

Improve Your Self-Care As A Nurse

In the midst of growing professionally, learning your role, and putting your all into your chosen profession, oftentimes our own attention to self-growth goes lacking. I know it certainly did in my life. This caused a myriad of issues that eventually led to a period of compassion fatigue and burnout. I didn’t have the personal tools in my belt to work through this work/life imbalance.

During my own journey, I discovered the need for personal development. I studied and became a wellness coach. I’d like to share a few of my own personal books utilized during this time. I now continue to add tools to my personal wellness belt.

1.  The Wellness Workbook, 3rd ed: How to Achieve Enduring Health and Vitality  by Dr. John W. Travis. This was one of the required books during my wellness coaching training with Wellness Inventory.

The Wellness Workbook, 3rd ed: How to Achieve Enduring Health and VitalityThe Wellness Workbook, 3rd ed: How to Achieve Enduring Health and VitalityThe Wellness Workbook, 3rd ed: How to Achieve Enduring Health and Vitality

2. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. This is an awesome personal account of Ms. Gilbert as her own life had become out of balance and she made some pretty drastic decisions to heal. Her book had a major impact on catapulting me on my own journey.

Eat, Pray, Love: BookEat, Pray, Love: BookEat, Pray, Love: BookEat Pray Love: MovieEat Pray Love: MovieEat Pray Love: Movie

3. Mind over Medicine by Dr. Lissa Rankin. This is the story of Dr. Rankin and how she hit her professional brick wall, and experienced a radical life change.

Mind Over Medicine DVDMind Over Medicine DVDMind Over Medicine DVDMind Over Medicine BookMind Over Medicine BookMind Over Medicine Book

4.  The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz. This really speaks about personal integrity and being true to yourself.

The Four Agreements BookThe Four Agreements BookThe Four Agreements Book

Those resources are a few to get you started. My rule now: always have a fun fiction book and a personal development book to read. I have found how instrumental it has been in my own life to create that work/life/play balance. In my own personal wellness journey I have found simple practices like mindfulness, attention to my breathing, being present and how the way I think actually has direct impact on my health and well-being.

Continuing our education as a nurse provides professional wellness. Investing in our personal wellness/development will ensure we are able to continue to be that nurturing force for others.

~ Authentically Joycelynn

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10 Tips to Help Avoid Burnout as a New Nurse Grad

Tips to Avoid Burnout As a New Nurse Grad

I was SO excited as a new nurse, I didn’t even fathom I would need to take steps to avoid burnout as a new nurse grad.

I remember how excited I was to run the mailman down (and I really did drive through the neighborhood looking for the mail delivery truck) the day nursing board results were arriving. Back in the day, it was a paper and pencil test, and the results arrived about 2 months later to let you know if you passed or failed.

To be completely honest here, I’ve been a nurse 29 years now and experienced 3 separate times in my career where burnout raised its ugly head. Now that I am on the other side of things, I can look back and realize how I got there, and I’ve learned how to minimize this impact. So I’m going to share my tips on how you as a new grad can see the warning signs or avoid it all together! Possibly had I realized back then, how to avoid burnout as a new nurse grad, I would have implemented some of these tips early on! 

1)      Remember your work/play balance. It’s exciting to be working and finally bringing in a paycheck. It’s easy to sign up for extra shifts and/or agree to stay over and work extra hours. This pattern will add up. You will find yourself working more than you are resting and/or playing.

2)     Try and avoid the gossip and negativity circles. Every job has them. The group that is dissatisfied and desires to pull you into the latest negative talk. Politely excuse yourself from these situations.

3)     Have a hobby. Find something you enjoy doing which has nothing to do with nursing. Be creative. Learn to scrapbook, blog, paint, sew, play ball, learn another language, cook, garden, read, journal, or something else that hits your creative side. 

4)     Learn to say NO. It’s OK to say no. When you find yourself saying “yes”, but inside you really have reservations…learn that being authentic to yourself is best in the long run. Saying no to a social event you really don’t want to attend, is just as important as saying no to an extra shift. You REALLY want to avoid burnout as a new nurse grad, and this is one you need to pay attention to! 

5)     Nourish your body. Learn to supply your body with healthy snacks, foods, and drinks. You will begin to feel tired and sluggish. When you start to feel physically drained, you are more likely to allow stress and problems at work to start nagging at you. Take time to walk at least 3 times week. Lift light weights. Allow yourself to move. Ride a bike. Whatever is “fun” to you.

6)     Realize outside stress can affect your job. If you begin to have issues outside of the job which are causing undue stress, don’t hesitate to go see a life coach or counselor. Most hospitals have some sort of mental health counseling available, and you can usually get a limited number of free visits, and it doesn’t have to be work related.

7)     Look for a good fit for a first job. I know you don’t have experience yet, but most of the time you have an idea of what type of nursing you want to do. Desperation will create a situation where you take “the first thing available”.  Accepting a job in a nursing home when you really want to work with babies will set you up to have a potentially bad experience and create job dissatisfaction with a potential for burnout.

8)    Allow daily “me” time.  Right now, I have my peppermint herbal tea that I’m sipping on from Mountain Rose Herbs.  I set aside time to read a good book daily.

9)     Enjoy time out with friends/family. I’m back to that work/play balance thing again.

10) Give yourself permission to make a change if needed. If you see yourself having feelings of burnout. You start to dread going to work. You want to call out frequently. Evaluate the situation. Is it the people, the workload, the management, or you? I’m not advocating job hopping. However, if you have taken all safeguards to balance your work life, and you really find yourself in a situation where you are not well…give yourself permission to explore areas that would be a better fit for you. Maybe it’s just a departmental transfer that is needed. Just give yourself permission to do what’s best for you.

11) Read good books dedicated to the new nurse, written by seasoned nurses who have been there and done that. Allow them to help you during this first year!

 

Do No Harm Applies to NursesYou First Year As a NurseFirst Year NurseStories on Becoming a Nurse

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Creating a Genshai Nursing Culture

More and more attention is being brought to the forefront about nurse bullying. This can be peer to peer, doctor to nurse, or patient/family to nurse bullying. Bullying is actually a problem in the nursing world. Many nurses suffer in silence and this can contribute to poor nursing satisfaction scores or poor nursing retention.

The movie, Law of Attraction, discusses bringing attention to what you want and not what you don’t want. Instead of talking about stopping nursing bullying, I’m going to discuss Genshai. Have you ever heard of the word? I hadn’t until this past Christmas when I received a book from a friend titled Aspire. This is a book by Kevin Hall. Kevin has extraordinary insight into words and his book is filled with words that will motivate and change your life.

Genshai is one of those words. Genshai is an ancient word which means you never treat anyone in a manner that would make them feel small, including yourself. I realize this is an idealistic viewpoint that won’t be accepted by all nurses. Some nurses like how it makes them feel to think they are superior and some nurses are just cranky and hate themselves and their job so their discontent is projected onto others.

The movement to start a Genshai culture among nurses will be slow to start. However, like a snowball, this movement in time, will pick up speed and size. Let the culture start with you. Take this idea to your hospital. Buy the book, Aspire. Allow the words to transform how to treat yourself and how you treat others.

My favorite nurse theorist is Dr. Jean Watson. She is the founder of the Watson Caring Science Institute. Dr. Watson developed the Human Caring Theory with 10 Caritas. She also has a Caritas Process to develop helping trusting caring relationships. Take time to explore her website and understand this empowering movement.

My unproven theory on this concept is that if one or two nurses in each hospital could really embrace the Genshai and Caring concepts and introduce them into their facility; then we could in time change the current culture from the bullying environment to one of mutual respect and caring. I’m not naive to believe every nurse is going to embrace these concepts, especially the bully nurses. However, my theory is if enough staff, management, and administration embraced the Genshai and Caring concepts, the bullies would have to get on board and experience an internal change, or their behavior would be so obvious and their behavior would no longer be allowed by management.

I realize management can be part of the problem. With some individuals, even the smallest amount of power brings forth some need to make others feel small. The Genshai concept really addresses these power hungry individuals. There is a difference between requiring employees to do things by the book vs. bullying staff and making them feel small. There are consequences for breaking rules or policies. The consequences can be handed down without emotional bullying attached to it. I remember a manager one time that sent out the most degrading emails to all staff. When addressing a situation as simple as keeping the break rooms clean, there was such a degrading bullying tone as she berated us for a messy break room. Truly, the subject could have been addressed without the degrading tone. She was so over the top with her bully tactics that she was eventually terminated.

What I have outlined is a simple strategy to focus on what we want. We as nurses want an environment where we can pass report on to the next shift nurse without seeing eyes rolled at us because there was something in the continuum of work we weren’t able to get to. We would like to be able to share our pain or concern without fear that a nurse blogger is going to come after us in a social media attack mode.

Like Martin Luther King, I can say “I have a dream”. I have a dream that one day nurses will have a mentally and emotionally safe environment by which to give caring compassionate care. I have a dream that nurses will treat nurses in a way that would not make another person feel small including themselves. The first place to start is with YOU! Don’t treat yourself small. Don’t allow another person to make you feel small. Join me in the movement to start a Genshai environment in the workplace. 

~ Authentically Joycelynn