12 Habits of Nurses Who Are Always Confident

How to be confident every day, even when you don’t feel confident.

It’s not easy to be confident every day, especially when you’re a new nurse or starting a new job.

I have been a new nurse, not once, but twice. Once as a new RN and again as a new nurse practitioner. I’ve started new nursing positions five times in my life.

I’ve observed nurses along the way and I’ve learned a few things that are worth sharing.

Nurses who are always confident . . .

1. Don’t Pretend

Confident nurses don’t pretend they know everything. Being a new nurse or being in a new nursing position can be challenging, expect it and accept it.

But whatever you do—don’t fake it until you make it. Absolutely don’t do that. There is no benefit to yourself or the patient by pretending you know something when you don’t. Actually, it can be downright dangerous (and unethical) to act like you know what you’re doing when you don’t.

Don’t bother pretending. Don’t assume you know. Don’t impersonate experience.

Be the nurse who is confident about what you don’t know.

2. Act Confident (Because They are Confident)

The confident nurses act confident. The difference between faking it until you make it and acting confident is in the intention. Instead of acting like you know something when you don’t, confidence allows you to approach a new situation with an open mind and a positive attitude.

Being in a new job or being a new nurse means that people will be asking you questions and giving you opportunities to do new things you’ve never done before.

Respond with curiosity and confidence by showing that you’re open to new experiences and that you’re willing to grow as a nurse and as a person.

Use phrases such as, “I’ve never done that, but I’m willing to learn” or “After performing that task, I feel like I can master it with more practice.”

Always speak from the best part of yourself about the best part of yourself.

3. Put Themselves First

Confident nurses practice self-care on and off the job. Self-care in nursing is critical because if you don’t take care of yourself first, you have nothing left for patients, friends, or family. And, yes, that includes putting yourself before your kids at times.

They’ve learned to find balance between their personal and professional lives. They pursue their own interests and hobbies outside of work. For the sake of their mental health, they prioritize their time to include activities they enjoy, surrounding themselves with positive people and quality experiences.

The confident nurses know that self-care is not an option.

4. Hydrate

The confident nurses make sure they stay hydrated. They come to work with a bottle of water and they make sure they’re staying hydrated throughout their shift. Dehydration can set in fast.

Some of the initial effects of dehydration are headache, hunger, fatigue, and lethargy. How can you be confident when you’re fighting hungry and riddled with fatigue? Reason enough to drink up!

5. Eat Nutritiously

Confident nurses take care of themselves first and foremost. Wait! I already said that. That’s because it’s true in so many areas. Confident nurses eat healthily. They know that in order to feel confident, you have to feel energized.

Most of the confident nurses I know follow the 80/20 rule. The day consists of food choices that are 80% packed with nutrients and the other 20% are packed with a bit of indulgence.

There is a load of confidence in knowing that you are practicing balance and moderation in your life and your food choices. You’re eating healthy and indulging at the same time.

6. Get Enough Sleep

Confident nurses prioritize sleep. Prioritizing sleep is a true confidence builder. It is nearly impossible to be confident when you’re tired and run down.

This may be challenging while you have small children around, I get that. When my children were young, I had to pick and choose each day what I’d spend my time on when it came to taking care of me and I always chose sleep first.

Getting enough sleep will trim a bad mood, diminish under-eye bags, and decrease sugar cravings. The only thing left after a good night’s sleep is the shine of confidence.

7. Arrive Early

The confident nurses arrive at least 15 minutes early for their shift. They are not rushing around. They have learned to carve out time to get everything together ahead of time for their shift. And they’ve learned to manage their time to order to get there, get settled, and get grounded before they start.

A lot can get done in 15 minutes.

12 habits of nurses who are always confident

8. Ask Questions

Confident nurses ask questions often. This may sound contradictory, but it’s not. Asking questions is a great way to work through the critical thinking process of patient care.

By asking questions you learn to be curious and to connect the dots. Asking questions allows you to think beyond what you learned in a textbook and helps you hone your logical thinking skills.

Asking questions can allow you to feel satisfied with your contributions because the questions force you to think critically about the care you’re giving patients and exam all sides of the nursing process.

As you ask more and more questions about what you’re doing, you’ll realize that this questioning process–of analyzing your actions or probing new activities–is solidifying your thinking and your confidence will begin to soar.

9. Build relationships

Confident nurses know they can’t do everything themselves; they know they’re part of a team. Don’t be afraid to learn the names of every coworker—above and below your pay grade.

Getting to know the people you work with will allow you to know who you can go to for help, who you can count on for learning new procedures, and who is open to supporting you in your new role.

If you didn’t start building relationships on day one, it’s not too late. Start creating your support team now. Knowing you have people you can count on, pumps up the confidence.

10. Help Out

Confident nurses go out of their way to help. Not because they know everything but because teamwork is a crucial part of confidence. When you work as a team, you develop respect and trust for your teammates.

Before you know it, you’re reaching out to others and others are reaching out to you. This collaborative process leaves you with a feeling of security and confidence.

11. Don’t Compare

Confident nurses don’t compare themselves. They don’t waste precious mental energy dwelling on their neighbor’s perfections (which aren’t really a thing) and magnifying their imperfections.

If their minds go in that direction, they stop. They refocus. They count their blessings. They focus on their strengths. They remind themselves of how far they’ve come and how much they learned already.

Confident nurses accept that learning is a process and they focus on the journey.

12. Embrace Imperfection

Confident nurses know that perfection isn’t a thing. They accept the fact that being human means you’ll make mistakes. Mistakes are a part of life, a part of growing, and a part of learning.

Confident nurses are ready to admit their flaws and own their mistakes so that they can grow and learn. They don’t waste time reacting defensively, looking for excuses, or denying their role in the mishap.

They believe in themselves enough to learn from their mistakes and move on swiftly. Confident nurses know that a mistake doesn’t mean they’re bad nurses, it means there is room to grow.