Nursing

In the mix: Do you take things too personally at work?

Stressed Out Nurses Weekly, July 6, 2009

None of us see the world as it is, we see the world the way we are. We all operate from different experiences, values, cultural norms, etc., that affect how we treat each other. When I walked into a room and a patient or family member would start to complain, I use to feel as if I was a bad nurse and become defensive.

I now recognize that complaints are actually requests in disguise–when patients or families are complaining, they are operating from a place of pain and are providing valuable information on how I can help them. When I feel my defensive side rise up, I’ve learned to take myself out of the equation by saying to myself, “It’s just information.” Then I am able to focus on what they are telling me instead of my feelings. Developing these buffers keeps other people’s stress from rubbing off on you. What buffers have you developed to survive the stressful environment of a hospital?

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