Excerpt from The Beginner’s Guide To Nursing: What They Didn’t Tell You in Nursing School
Practicing Self-Compassion
Practicing self-compassion is a critical part of practicing as a nurse. You must learn to show yourself the same care and kindness you show your patients.
Take control of that voice in your head right now with a healthy mindset.
Here are the steps when in the thick of it:
Recognize the moment. When you’re struggling or feeling inadequate, recognize the moment as painful or stressful. Simply notice what’s happening and how you’re feeling.
Take a deep breath and ground yourself in the right now of this struggle.
Accept it as a part of the learning process, as part of life. Remember that everyone feels inadequate at some point while learning.
Remind yourself that you’re not alone and others often feel the same way. It is possible to be comfortable with uncomfortable emotions as they flow in and out of your life.
Ask yourself what you need right now. Do you need to step away from the situation so you can take a deep breath and calm your mind? Do you need a positive affirmation? A hug? A conversation with a friend?
Give yourself permission to give yourself what you need and to be kind to yourself in this moment. Use phrases like “I accept where I’m at in the learning process right now,” “I extend the same compassion to myself as I would give my best friend.”
Create a self-care mantra to take with you in and out of clinicals and classrooms. It can be a simple as “Others have done this, I can do this too,” or “I extend compassion to myself and surround myself with kindness in this moment.”
Stop the Negative Self-Talk
Here are some ideas to replace self-defeating lines like:
“I can’t believe I’m so stupid”
“Why am I struggling to learn this? Everyone else gets it.”
Instead, approach yourself with compassion and curiosity.
- Compassion. “Today was rough, but it’s okay because I’m figuring this out. I’m going to be okay. Tomorrow I’ll learn more.”
- Curiosity. “I wonder why I struggled through giving report just now. I want to do better next time so I’ll use my ‘brain sheet’ next time as a consistent way to give report.”
- Support. “I realize now that I should have asked for help before trying to position my patient. Next time I intend to listen to my gut instinct and ask for help.”
- Progress. “I messed up that medication calculation on my test. But I care about being a better nurse, so I’m willing to learn what steps I missed.”
Need more help and support becoming a nurse?
Check out The Beginner’s Guide to Nursing: What They Didn’t Tell You in Nursing School. Available March 1st.
Cheers!
