Why is “Just” a 4-Letter Word in Nursing?
Recently, a pediatric nurse shared that the father of a hospitalized child said to her, “You must really love your work.”As the nurse finished up her care, she replied (without even a smile), “I’m just doing my job.”
Hearing this broke my heart.
Why? Because I knew from her description she made sure the child was calm and comfortable during the bedside procedure and her parents felt secure in the care they would need to do once home.
She wasn’t “just doing her job”,
she was living and breathing the best of her into her calling.
That’s not the only thing that broke my heart, though. It was that she was so dispirited she couldn’t see this and therefore, she couldn’t receive the nourishment of this sincerely grateful parent’s “thank you”.”Whoa!” I said. “Let’s back up here a minute.”
Unwrapping, Articulating and Appreciating What We Do
Everything, and I do mean everything, a warm look, a caring touch, a kind word and expertly offered clinical care, is all masterful nursing.
A warm look and a caring touch provides reassurance and lowers blood pressure. A kind word opens up space for more understanding of worries, anxieties and fears, so we can help find effective-patient-specific solutions. And we know what expert clinical care provides.
When we don’t articulate and appreciate what we do and why we do it, we can fall into minimizing how our skillful experience and science-based knowledge provides unique and trusted care — and how much that means to those we care for throughout our day.
is kind of like a four-letter word.
This small word acts like a virus, spreading throughout our bodies and the environments we work in. Making us and our work seem small and insignificant.Like any viral infection, missing out on the appreciation our patients, their families and our co-workers offer, it can drain the life force out of us.
I know there are days when I have to reach deeper inside to eliminate this word from my mind and vocabulary. When I do, I find what helps me does not rely on diminution. It resides in the Practice of Receiving.Receiving
You do a lot of giving. All day. Every day. Yes?
When you miss a smile, a thank you or place your masterful care in the realm of “just doing my job”, you can’t reap the benefits these moments are meant to provide you.
As a caregiver, receiving appreciation is how you continuously refill the cup you give from.
The Practice of Receiving:
Receiving isn’t as hard as it might seem. It does take, though, a moment to pause and drink in the appreciation. It does’t have to be a grand show, but it does have to happen.
Right now, as I say to you how much I appreciate all you do, take this moment to drink this in.
Or remember someone who said thank you recently. Receive it now into your heart, your bones, your cells.
Let these others be a giver to you, sometimes in the only way they can; through their show of appreciation.
The next time someone says to you, “you must love your job,” breathe in and absorb what they are really saying.
That you are masterful as you are caring, that you are insightful as you are safe and that you prepare as well as anticipate.
This is what I shared with my pediatric nurse friend. And she smiled.
My vision for 2016, is that we all know, appreciate and articulate the value of what we do. I know this it can be hard with all the suffering we witness and the stress we experience.
Now that the rush of the holidays is past, and it’s a long weekend for many of you, consider two ways you can start 2016 with appreciation for yourself.
Room to Breathe: Rewiring for Ease ProgramJoin with the other nurses already registered for my upcoming Room to Breathe: Rewiring for Ease Program. Several nurses who took Room to Breathe said, “I really learned how to pause and breathe,” and others said, “Now I really get how Mindfulness Practice is a way to take care of myself, daily,” bringing in rejuvenation and greater well being at work and at home.
Read more about that here and save $150.00 off the regular price with the Early Early Bird Special on now.
When you bring a friend or several coworkers with you, you all save even more. Ask about group rates.
Private Coaching
If you prefer working one-on-one to focus on your career goals as well as your stressors, private coaching can give you both. With a coaching model, together we define your goals, remove barriers and clear the way to being and having the work you deeply desire. Read more about my One-on-One Coaching Package here.
This New Year, make the resolution that you’ll receive all the thanks given to you, big and small. I’ll be joining you.
Much love,
Jackie
Do you know 2 or 3 nurses or other health professionals that need help strengthening their capacity to receive as well as reduce stress and overwhelm? Please forward on this newsletter. Thanks!
Here are the links again:
>>>>> Room to Breathe: Rewiring for Ease
>>>>> One-on One Coaching