Who are you at your core? What are your core values as a nurse?
Most people don’t think of these types of questions on a regular basis, but this can lead to discontent in yourself or your life. When your sense of self is poorly defined and your life conflicts with your core values and identity, moral injury can occur.
Let me explain.

My core values as a nurse include decreasing the suffering of my patients, believing that every human deserves care, being self-directed and continuing to grow my knowledge and skills base.
If I feel out of alignment with any of these things, that I’m not giving good care, that I don’t have autonomy or that I am stagnant in my growth, my whole experience of life and work suffers.
Maybe you have had some disgruntled or unfulfilling times recently, experiences that left you feeling at odds with yourself and your job.
Why is this so common?
Because we are really freaking busy.
It’s not even intentional!
Reflecting on core values doesn’t even enter our minds when we are finishing notes and squeezing in one more patient.
And even if we do reflect on our core values, we have a way of minimizing the good we are doing while magnifying all the things that could go better.
This is where being true to thine own nurse comes in.
Sure, it could be great if we had more time with each patient, if we had less documentation to do, but that is not the reality. Let’s not hold ourselves to some standard of care that is not congruent with the reality in which we find ourselves.
The antidote to unintentional self-dismissal, or worse yet self-deprecation, is intentional acknowledgment of the self, of the important work you are doing. We can do this, not out of arrogance, but out of self-fulfillment and self-restoration.
We all know what could go better at work but how often do we focus on what went well?
If you want to feel better, try this easy 2 step process.
Think about who you are at your core, what your core values are. You get extra points if you write them down.
Set a timer for 3 minutes and write down all the ways you honored those values today. Don’t overthink it. When the negative thoughts pop up (which they will), just say “not now, I’m busy” and keep writing. Put down everything, big or small, whether it’s caring for 20 patients or not feeding into someone else’s negative energy. Don’t skip the stuff that you take for granted like knowing appropriate medication doses, explaining something to a patient, or just listening to their story. These all count.
That’s it. It may sound too simple, but you will definitely feel a sense of relief if you take a few minutes and actually do this activity.
Be true to yourself. You are doing important and meaningful work. Don’t let busyness or other people’s stress cloud the truth of that.
If you are finding it difficult to implement these strategies or struggling to navigate this process on your own, I am here for you. This is one of the advantages of a coaching consultation call. Together, we can identify the specific obstacles preventing you from achieving the growth and lifestyle you desire and create a personalized plan to help you reach your goals. Even if we are not the right fit to work together, that hour-long call will not be wasted. You will gain new clarity, which is the initial step towards improving your well-being. Click here to schedule a time today.
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