Nursing is a profession that requires you to solve problems, care for, and support your patients. In this line of work, you need to think quickly, exercise good judgment, communicate effectively, and engage with colleagues. Yet ultimately, you need to save enough for yourself in order to get up and do it again the next day.
This 16-part series offers you a new perspective to build emotional intelligence in nursing, along with tools to activate your resilience.
What Is Resilience?
Resilience is the antidote to stress. It will help you stand out, rather than burn out, in your nursing career. Whether you are in management, are just aspiring to rise through the ranks, or simply want to enjoy your work more, you need to have resilience. It is an important part of your success strategy and will increase your enjoyment on the job.
Resilience naturally energizes and motivates you, plus the people around you. It is defined as the ability to bounce back after a difficult or traumatic event. Characteristics of resilience include the ability to find meaning, persistence, and sustainable energy in body and spirit. And having emotional flexibility, adaptability, optimism and the ability to reach out to others supports resilience. It is part of the foundation of emotional intelligence.
Why not build your ability to cope, stay positive, problem solve and keep going day to day despite challenges? Why wait for a traumatic event?
Practicing Resilience: An Example
Rachel was going to work on her day off because her manager desperately needed help. She agreed and was given off on a weekend later in the month. She knew that going to work today meant she was going to have to work with a nurse who is negative and frequently complaining. But Rachel realized that if she started worrying about this, or complaining to herself, then this person had effectively entered her private sanctuary—her own mind. She would be hostage to this person’s negativity.
As she came on the unit, she greeted the nurse and resolved to stay focused on her assignment. Rachel actually felt stronger knowing she was in charge of her own thoughts and ultimately her reactions. Her resilience led her to see the day going well and even prompted her to say a prayer for the other nurse.
Rachel engaged her emotional intelligence by first recognizing that she could be triggered by this negative nurse and then choosing to move away from it. What Rachel wasn’t aware of was that this shift in her reaction to the negativity also rubbed off on the other nurses, making for a more pleasant shift for everyone. She had effectively become the change she was seeking.