Resilience, resilience, resilience. It's a word I use to appreciate and respect, but over the past few years, it's been abused and often used to cover up organizational problems. No nurse should be told to be stronger if their support system isn't providing him or her with the environment to be strong in. Nurses shouldn't be expected to rise above problems and barriers that obstruct them from delivering quality, safe care. The definition of resilience is the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties. But if those difficulties are rooted in and unwavering, why is the affected party expected to rewire their circuits instead of the change coming from the surroundings? When I see organizations talking about burnout, it's always from the viewpoint that the nurse is defective or emotionally unprepared in some way. It's as if the idea of the environment being the cause hadn't ever entered their minds.
Before you get caught up in finding out if you are the problem, review outward and then inward. Look around you. Do you feel safe at work? Does the environment have the proper tools for you to do your job? When push comes to shove, does leadership provide you with the support needed? When you wake up, does the thought of coming to work stress you out because of work problems you have no control over? These are the questions about the workplace you need to ask yourself. If everything is all stars there, then you want to reflect inward and find out if it's a personal matter. But reflecting on our workplace is a must!
I've seen some nurses complain about the new nurses and their ability to jump from job to job. Yes, esthetically, it doesn't look great, but when you sit down and talk to the nurse, he or she has a good reason for the job hopping. Most of the time, it's due to poor work environments, and he or she isn't going to wait around for the executives or leadership to get it together. They know their worth, they know the value of their education, and they aren't going to spend it in a place that can't get its crap together. I respect that, the ability for someone to put themselves first, and I recommend more people start doing that. Yes, we all have responsibilities. I'm not saying jump without having a next step in place. But it may be time to consider other options if a job makes you miserable due to its dangerous surroundings or demanding workspaces.
You've obtained a nursing degree, taken many courses, passed numerous exams, and completed various checkoffs. Now is the time to be bold about what you want and what should be expected. Resilience is a buzzword, sometimes camouflaging genuine operational and system issues. It's time to look beyond the word and determine if where you work is working for you. If it isn't, it's time to look around evaluate things. It's not about when you start. It's about starting in general. If you are looking to be more resilient, ask yourself, "Do I have the proper support system to be resilient, or are there some issues that need to be addressed on an operational level?" We all want to be the best version of ourselves, but we need a proper environment to do that. Before you go beating yourself up, reflect on your workspace first. You'd be surprised how triggering a poor work environment can be.
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