Читать книгу Toxic Nursing, 2nd Ed - Cheryl Dellasega - Страница 34

I would hope that Lauren, the preceptor, could develop a better understanding of how people handle stress and be able to identify that Beth wasn’t really laughing, but was simply attempting to cope. Maybe the conversation needed to occur right upfront. Lauren might say, “I notice when you get nervous you laugh. Is that really what’s happening?” This will validate what she’s seeing. From that point forward, others would know that Beth’s laughter is not making fun of them, nor does it indicate Lauren is not taking them seriously.

I would say that if this progresses and Lauren says things like, “Never let a patient choose for themselves,” Beth needs to ask, “Why was that a wrong decision?” Otherwise, the comment won’t have credibility. Then Lauren needs to sit down with Beth and give her feedback on her rationale. She could tell Beth that the nurse knows the pharmacology and can make a better choice than the patient. The physician doesn’t give choices to the patient; the physician gives them to the nurse so the nurse can make the best decision. That’s part of developing your clinical practice: making important decisions and judgments.

Given the way this situation unfolded, Beth really learned nothing from the feedback. It’s the preceptor’s job to help the new nurse grow and develop.

–Kathy Curci

Emotional intelligence (EI) is not an innate attribute but a learned skill that must be nurtured and developed. EI is the ability to identify your own emotions, use your emotions constructively, understand emotions in uncomfortable or hostile situations, and manage one’s own emotions and those of others to achieve positive outcomes. Nurses’ emotions play a vital role in nurse-patient perceptions as well as mentor-preceptor interactions. Because Lauren is in a preceptor role, it is vital that she be in sync with Beth’s comfort level. Beth’s nervous laughter could have been handled more effectively had Lauren had EI training. With proper leadership training and EI competence, Lauren could have identified the situations or antecedents that triggered Beth’s laughter and provided more time in teaching, explaining, or demonstrating the skill.

Leaders who lack leadership competence and emotional competence cannot effectively manage others. Although nurses possess emotional intelligence in varying degrees, if it is fragmented, it can create an unhealthy workplace environment. In a healthy workplace environment, leaders are attuned to their emotions and the emotions of others in various situations. Incorporating EI training as part of the preceptor or leadership training programs is paramount for successful nurse leadership.

–Cheri Clancy