From The Beginner’s Guide to Nursing: What They Didn’t Tell You in Nursing School. Available on Kindle and paperback on March 1st at Amazon.
Don’t fake it until you make it
I’ll bet no one told you that you would be struggling in nursing school, sometimes a lot.
On the 0-10 pain scale, you may hit a 10/10 at times. That’s part of nursing school
But whatever you do, don’t pretend that a 10/10 is a 1/10!
Reasons to avoid faking it until you make it:
Faking it is exhausting. It will wear you out and run you down in no time.
Faking it means that no one will offer to help you or teach you anything, because you come across as already knowing it all.
Faking it means that you’re not being authentic in your endeavor to be the best nurse you can be.
Instead of pretending, act confident
This may sound contradictory, but there’s a difference between faking it and being confident.
The first semester of nursing school is meant to weed out the people who can’t make the cut. The hardest classes and the most challenging clinicals come first. These are not my rules, but most programs are designed this way. However, this doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel.
The difference is not acting like you know something or acting like you know what you’re doing when you don’t have a clue what you’re doing or what you’re talking about.
Acting confident (even when you’re terrified) means that you approach the situation with an open mind and a positive attitude. When you’re new and learning, people are going to ask you questions or request that you do something you’ve never done.
Expect to be challenged, but don’t pretend
Instead, respond with curiosity and confidence showing that you’re open to new experiences and willing to grow as a person and a nurse.
Ask questions of your own, research things that remain fuzzy, and seek out guidance for all first-time experiences. As you proceed with confidence, knowing that you’re capable of learning and growing, you’ll be amazed at how that confidence empowers you and influences others.
Never pretend you’re okay when you’re not.
Instead, ask for help
Tips on asking for help
- Be sure you’ve already tried to find the answer yourself first. Don’t be that nurse who asks what the new drug does when you can easily look it up yourself. Your preceptors and supervisors are more inclined to help those who have already proven they are willing to help themselves first. Say something like “I’ve already looked up XYZ drug, but . . .” to show that you’re requesting help because you’ve already tried.
- When you do ask a question, be sure to get to the point quickly. Give them the bullet point version of the question. Leave out your opinion, your struggle to find the answer previously, and your rambling. Ask the questions one at a time and be grateful for the help you are given.
The most dangerous nurse is the one who doesn’t ask for help.
- Be the person who follows through. You will most likely be seeking assistance from your preceptors or unit supervisors more than once and that’s okay as long as you make sure they know that you’ve acted on their advice before. Say something along these lines: “Thanks for recommending that book on antibiotic use, it helped answer a lot of questions. Can you recommend an app for vaccines?”
- Timing is everything. There’s a right time and a not-so-right time to ask for help. If you want someone to help you, don’t just launch right into your request. There may be times when you have to ask, “Hey, I’d like to discuss your help with something. When would be a good time to talk?”
- Don’t make them guess. Be sure your support system—your helping team—knows exactly what you want and what you need. Don’t expect people to come up to you and offer their services. If you need help turning a patient, go find someone and ask. If you need help exploring research topics for your next paper, find a fellow student and ask. If you have to, practice asking for help . . . it will get easier.
- Be the person who is always willing to help. If you become the person everyone can count on for help—whether it be lifting a patient, documenting in a code, or staying over one hour on your shift—it makes people more receptive to your requests. Don’t be shy about offering and giving help to others at clinicals and on the job. Even if they don’t spontaneously offer help back, they are usually very happy to jump in when you need them.
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Practicing Self Compassion For Nurses
New Year. New Mindset. New You.
Cheers,
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