REAFFIRM YOUR NURSING PURPOSE
In giving to others, how do you fill your cup so to speak? According to the research, there is an art to reaffirming your purpose and your practice (Todaro-Franceschi, 2013).
What is a nurse to do? “Acknowledge a good feeling from an experience you had a work, something that made you feel glad to be a nurse”(Todaro-Franceschi, 2013, p.71).
Do you notice that it makes you feel different or better about returning? “Recognize that one always has choices and then choose appropriate actions to reaffirm your purpose” (Todaro-Franceschi, 2013, p. 71). Recall the time you felt good about something you did as a nurse, what contributed to that feeling. Now think about how this differs from days that are not so great. It is when we connect and are aware of ourselves and others that those feelings are present at work. Maybe you see things you might not normally notice that makes this step so important for our wellbeing.
Respectfully,
Linda Corigliano, RN, Mary Ellen Levine, RN and the Healthy Nurse Healthy New Jersey Team
References
Todaro-Franceschi, V. (2013). Compassion fatigue and burnout in nursing: Enhancing professional quality of life. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
