What is the RX for Happiness for Healthcare Providers?

 

In honor of our healthcare providers I am posting an article I wrote a few years ago on how nurses can reduce negativity in trying times. This was written prior to COVID-19 and is even more true today than ever.  I hope you enjoy it and feel free to share it with others. 

For everyday tips on how to reduce negativity please check out my book, Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within. It's available in paperback on Amazon and the e-book is available on smashwords.com. 

Nurses begin their shifts knowing they will face obstacles. They understand the dangers, so they take proper precautions. For example, diligent handwashing prevents the spread of infection; proper lifting techniques can prevent injury. But "dangers" also lurk when humans interact. Therefore, classes on improving communication are a mainstay in hospitals to prevent verbal disasters. However, one of the most pernicious afflictions nurses face is an internal one - battling negativity. Enormous workloads, shrinking staffs and the fear of making a life-threatening mistake are all contributing factors to stress, which can lead to pessimism. But having good justification for negativity does not improve the situation. Fortunately, there are a few tips to create a happier work environment. However the cure is more like physical therapy than penicillin. Negativity is a learned habit. Erasing a gloomy outlook and replacing it with a positive alternative is a skill set nurses must cultivate. Creating a Pleasant Workplace Creating a pleasant workplace by modifying the behavior of others would be ideal. Unfortunately, that course of action rarely works. If nurses want to reduce negativity at work, the process begins with them. Once anti-negativity skills are mastered, nurses can serve as role models for others, which can create a surge of cheerfulness that ripples throughout the hospital or office. The first steps to combat negativity are: 1. Recognize negativity has creeped its way into your life and is holding your happiness hostage; 2. Erase negative thoughts, speech and actions and replace them with more empowering and productive alternatives; and 3. Smile every day, even (and especially) when you do not want to. Lest you think you only churn out happy musings, consider this statistic: the average person has 40,000-65,000 thoughts a day and a whopping 95 percent of those thoughts are negative. The good news is, even a little improvement can have lasting effects. After recognizing pessimistic ponderings lurk within, the next step is to erase the undesirable thoughts with a positive alternative. An example might be about illness. Rather than saying, "I don't want to get sick," say "I enjoy vibrant health." By repeating the positive message, eventually your brain will respond to the kinder choice and your immune system will be strengthened. There is evidence that not only do optimistic people enjoy better health, when they do get exposed to maladies such as the common cold, their bodies produce more antibodies. Nasty speech directed at others can be replaced with a simple, "bless you." If you can bless people when they sneeze and spray germs, the same method can be used for poisonous words. A whispered "bless you" can ward off the eruption of a nasty remark. Many negative thoughts, speech and actions are automatic. To short circuit the default response, it helps to take a deep breath and imagine a serene setting before responding in an unkind way. Related Content ·         The Pleasure Principle ·          ·         Creating Personal Happiness Smiling is also a strong anecdote to grouchiness. It may sound simplistic, but studies have shown that a cornucopia of chemical reactions occur when a person smiles, whether or not the smile is sincere.2 The goal is to present an authentic grin, but if you have to fake it until you make it, the results can be surprisingly effective. Try smiling at your reflection in the mirror for one full minute before leaving the house. This works even when you don't want to smile because the irony of grinning when you're feeling crabby is usually enough to make even a curmudgeon snicker. Avoiding Negativity Something that is not worth smiling about is gossip. Lisa Hinojosa, RN, a nurse at Boulder Community Hospital in Boulder, CO, remarked that one of the most toxic forms of negativity is feeding the rumor mill. "Gossip is a huge problem at work because the hospital is like a little town where everyone knows everyone else," said Hinojosa. "In addition to ruining reputations it is a distraction from our main goal, working as a team to take care of the patient. "Malicious speech takes its toll. It is destructive and a major roadblock to a positive, joyful, fun and fulfilling experience at work. Even when everyone is getting along, if one negative or critical person walks in, the positive atmosphere can instantly turn sour. One person's negativity can ignite a chain reaction. Before you know it, even those who rarely gossip can get sucked in and agree with, and even add to the critical chatter. From there it spreads and fuels the fire of dissention - often beyond repair." Visit Our Nursing Specialty Websites! ·         LPN ·         Emergency Department ·         Management /Faculty ·         Critical Care ·         Med/Surg One method to counteract gossip is to do what Hinojosa said she does - walk away. Gossip needs a friendly ear and mouth to spread. A braver tactic is to confront the gossiper and compassionately suggest a kinder topic. If gossiping is one of your weaknesses, try asking yourself a couple of questions before engaging in the verbal negativity: ·  Is what I'm about to say hurtful in any way? ·  What is my motivation for saying this? ·  Is what I'm about to say coming from a place of love and respect, or a place of anger and cruelty By asking yourself a few questions before you speak you can save yourself, and others, a lot of pain and grief. That is not to say that silence is always golden, particularly when it comes to patient care. "One of the most common issues that leads to negativity in the workplace is feeling understaffed, which can also lead to increased fatigue in staff members," said Linda McFarland, RN, a nurse at Angels Care Home Health in Cottonwood, AZ. "Most facilities use a staffing model to identify how many nurses should cover the number of patients in a given area. What these models do not take into account on a regular basis is the acuity of the patient." In cases where patients are at risk, it is a nurse's duty to speak up. McFarland said organizations such as the American Nursing Association have been encouraging nurses to voice their concerns regarding patient safety, nurse fatigue, as well as working with hospital staff to ensure there are enough nurses on the floor to properly address the needs of all the patients - particularly those who need more time-intensive care. According to the ANA website, "the national nursing organization advocates for the Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2010 (S. 3491/ H.R. 5527) that would hold hospitals accountable for the development and implementation of unit-by-unit staffing plans that ensure appropriate nurse staffing levels for quality patient care." While there is no fail proof method to bring up patient safety concerns without some backlash, it is important to communicate with compassion and focus on a solution, rather than assigning blame, which creates further conflict. There is no doubt nurses have a tough job. Patients are sick and in pain, some cranky physicians yell when nurses are forced to call them in the middle of the night, and life and death decisions need to be made every day. By using a few tips to reduce negativity on an ongoing basis, nurses can inject a little more optimism into the workplace, as well as make positive steps toward a happier, healthier life and career. References 1. Why optimists enjoy better health. (May 2008). Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved Feb. 25, 2011 from the World Wide Web, http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/why-optimists-enjoy-better-health. 2. Dal Cero, M.A. (Apri 16, 2009). What a smile can do. Helium Psychology. Retrieved Feb. 25, 2011, from the World Wide Web, http://www.helium.com/items/1418154-what-a-smile-can-do. Sally Marks is a motivational coach, speaker and the co-author of the self-improvement book, Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within. You can visit her website at http://www.erasenegativity.com/ or read her humorous blog at http://www.erasenegativity.blogspot.com/