You're aiming to impress your boss as a nurse. How can you showcase your value effectively?

What I have found very helpful is to be knowledgeable, committed, dedicated, confident, assertive, reliable, proactive, a team player, able to work independently, and to go above and beyond expectations.

The most important thing I have done in my medical career is to help identify, hire and cultivate special nurses. The Patient introduction by the nurse- their interaction to a medical procedure and empathy for a patients that are disorientation and in fear. This nursing management is what I look for and want to help develop- it’s is either there- or it’s not- it’s a Heart ?? thing?? All the other nursing medical functions can be taught. Nurses are the BEST ????

In my experience, to stand out means to not only be knowledgeable in your field ( keeping up to date with the latest training and educational information), but also being a team player. Encouraging clear communication and comradery with all your coworkers Will not only enhance the patient experience but also the work experience and culture.

This is where we have a misunderstanding. If we are driven by what our supervisor thinks we will not be acting with integrity. I recommend that we learn who we are, learn what motivates us, and start to recognize our value. I spent so many years in the trenches in direct patient care. It is a very vulnerable place to be. Never knowing if you are doing the right thing, not quite sure how to get the patient what they really need, watching suffering with little control. As a Nurse Coach, I work with staff that is motivated by what others will say, think, and do to us, if we make the wrong decision. We have to come from confidence in ourselves that every day we are making the best decision possible for all concerned.

We do not know what our boss thinks and they do not know what we think, 100% of the time. Unless we express our thoughts or ask them about theirs. I guarantee that if you begin with an open-ended question, you will be surprised by the response. For example, "Do you have 5 minutes for me to share something with you?" (Make it about you, not them) OR "Can I take 5 minutes and ask you what you think about my work in this area or what work you think is needed in this area?" Imagine the dialog that can happen in this way.

Once you have a brief conversation with your supervisor, you will have some insight as will they. It is food for thought. Then, you can set up a follow-up meeting with them, or ask them if you can plan a meeting with 2, 3, or 4 others. We never know where this will lead. Sometimes you start with one idea and it moves to another. But nothing happens unless you have that first conversation. You may be the only one to do it. It will be rewarding to feel that confidence that you can achieve something. Research shows that only takes a 20% to change 80% of the problems. Make that small change.

For example, an ER nurse received a bed assignment for her patient exactly at the time of shift change. Nurses know this is the worst possible time. The receiving floor refused report bc of shift change. The nurse wanted to report on a complex patient before she left and was told to call back after shift. We as nurses often create stories around this and other situations. The stories involve, "Why did they do this to me?", "what can't they see". Drama, negative feelings, and worry develop. We have to realize this is a system problem, not a human problem. That is where structured problem-solving can heal employees, reduce stress, and create a more loving environment.

To show compassion we first need to give it to ourselves. The example above becomes emotional when nurses have given too much and have not received it in return. They feel resentment. When we ask ourselves every day, "What do I need right now" and "How can I give to myself", we begin to feel more joy and love. When we feel joy and love more often others feel it and they feel better. Do you want your boss to notice you? Know your value when you walk into a room without saying a thing. Love yourself. Be grateful for little things. These practices improve your energy level (sense of well-being) and draw others toward you.