What do you do if you receive feedback as a nurse that you strongly disagree with?

It's natural to feel defensive or upset when receiving feedback you disagree with, but it's important to remain calm and composed. Take a moment to collect your thoughts before responding and pay close attention to the feedback being provided. As a nurse, I understand it can feel a bit challenging at first but even if you disagree with it initially, try to understand the perspective of the person giving the feedback as they may have observations or concerns that you haven't considered.

Learn to pause focusing on your response, and not to immediately react when receiving feedback that upset you. The main thing to learn is mindfulness and the pause. Mindfulness means watching ourselves when something happens that might normally upset us or trigger some kind of emotional reaction. Pay close attention to how our minds react. Then pause. We don’t have to act immediately, just because we have an internal reaction. We can pause, and breathe. We can stop this urge to act irrationally arise, then let it go away. When you respond, stay composed and assess if the feedback you received is valid or not. Assess if this is constructive feedback or not.

If I receive feedback as a nurse that I strongly disagree with, I first allow the person giving the constructive criticism a chance to explain their thoughts. Feedback is sometimes good, and I welcome it as long as it is not degrading. I will also be sure to express my reasons calmly and professionally. If we can agree, so be it. If not, at least we could explain our views on the situation. Always remember that not everyone will agree with how you do things, so don't take things personally; remain open and professional. :)

Feedback and criticisms can be a hit to anyone’ego; Before reacting, breathe. Knee jerk reaction are rarely the answer. Remain calm and breathe and separate your personal feelings from the job so you can hear the critique objectively.

Listen to understand, not just to hear what is said. Ask questions, and listen objectively of what is being said. Always be openminded to feedback, that is the way to grow as a nurse.

Listening, truly listening requires the disciplinecto not form answers while another oesn is speaking. This can be difficult because our natural tendency is to start preparing an answer. Active listening means we may not have an answer immediately. We can process the information and come back later to answer. Active listening will not always get an immediate response. In fact, the response should be to repeat what was spoken they way you understand it, to clarify before responding.

Reflections require time. Real time, it may take a good night’s rest to properly reflect on a situation. That should not be frowned upon. In fact, taking time to reflect shows dedication to your craft.

Maturity is very important in dealing with any feedback - either positive nor negative. One should acknowledge that not everything or everyone aligns. There will always be feedback that goes against you. Do some self inventory - a thorough one. Spend some time to process and eventually accept and make improvement if needed.