As a nurse, whether in private, state, or federal hospitals, what are the things to look into so as to be able to make your shift fun for you, your patients and colleagues?
Some months ago, Oluwatosin Kehinde started a discussion on Fellow Nurses Africa WhatsApp group on this very topic. And this article will shed more light on the topic and add one or more tips.
You will agree with me that doing some particular procedures everyday can be boring no matter your chosen field. You will also believe with me that, there are one or two things we can do to make our works fun (especially as nurses).
If you have been wondering how, try these tips.
1). Engage Your Clients/Patients
Someone advised, instead of the "Good morning Mr X, get to know how your patients feel, listen to their unsaid words." Discuss with your patients to know more about them than what is in the case note. Connect with them emotionally. Let them feel happy talking to you. When they are happy, you will know and you too will be happy.
Someone in the group said, "talking with my patients, cracking jokes with them and seeing them smile and always awaiting my shift makes it more fulfilling for me. I try to get closer especially when I notice the patient's countenance has been moody."
2). Go To Work With Positive Mindset
You see all those great nurses you admire? They go to work with positive mindset. They go with the mind to help some people in need. They go with the intention to give their patients the best they've got.
It all starts from the mind and every other feeling or behavior is a state of the mind. - Michelle from FNA
No one likes work, but we like what's in work, the ability to find ourselves.
Someone illustrated how he overcame the feeling of "not feeling like going to work" like this; "Today I didn't feel like going to work, a friend asked me what happened? When I told him I didn't feel like going to work, he said to me; "Do you know that anytime you said you didn't like going to work, you always come back happy?" He then made up his mind to go and come back happy.
Take charge of your mind, your future depends on it
3). Engage In Educative Discussion With Colleagues
One of the things you can do to make shift fun is engaging in educative discussions with colleagues at work or online(WhatsApp mostly) if you are fortunate to be the only one on duty(in some Private hospitals). Discuss on the diseases, drugs and most importantly, the nursing care you are rendering.
In the discussion, you can also ask colleagues questions you need clarification on. No one is an island of knowledge, you simply can't know it all.
4). Read Beyond Medicals
To make your stay at work as a nurse more fun, if you love reading, read stuffs beyond medicals too. You can't just keep reading Med-Surg, Nursing process etc all the time. Read to know what's on in your country, vicinity and be informed by reading newspapers, news blogs and some nurses forum. See some of the nurses blog you may want to follow.
5). If You Have Online Business, Connect With Clients
If you happen to be a nurse who has side hustle, and part or all of it is online, use the medium to connect with your clients and your prospects. I believe you can't be busy all the time at work.
To use myself as example, I do blog and web design for people, so when I see things are becoming boring, I get on with the project at hand and before I know it, I have solved the project halfway instead of sitting down to think how boring nursing may be.
Some of these tips are useful [mostly] for nurses in private settings who only do two shifts (morning and night) and to people working in a place that has low influx of clients.
What other things do you do at work to make your shift more fun?
Endeavor to share in the comment box and show the love by sharing this post with a colleague(s).
Written By: Obembe Sunday D, RN (SirPhren)
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