By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
A nurse manager recently asked me what she could do to reduce the stress level of her new nurses and help them feel like they can succeed in nursing. Over the past year, three of her recent graduates had quit within one month of starting their residency program. These novice nurses were very bright graduates from excellent nursing programs. One had said the following as she resigned- “I have never failed at anything, but I feel like I am failing now – this is just way too hard and I can’t do this work.” The nurse manager could not believe that they would give up this easily when the first year of practice is always challenging, especially now. Much of their clinical work in school had used simulation. The nurse manager knew it would take time to develop their skills and was willing to help them. All three left their positions and possibly even the profession.
Napoleon is well known for saying that leaders are dealers in hope – a skill needed today more than ever. I recommended to the nurse manager that moving forward – she should coach her new nurses to promote a growth mindset using the power of “not yet.” There are two ways to think about challenges in your professional transition. The first is to question whether you are not smart enough to do the work. The second is to be kind to yourself and recognize that you are growing and will develop the skills given enough time.
The “not yet” approach to development comes from Carol Dweck and her research about the “Growth Mindset” which builds on to the principles of neuroplasticity. Research on brain plasticity has shown how connectivity between neurons can change with experience. With practice, neural networks grow new connections, strengthen existing ones and build insulation that speeds the transmission of impulses. These neuroscientific discoveries have shown us that we can increase our neural growth by taking actions, such as using good strategies, asking questions, practicing, and following good nutrition and sleep habits. Dweck’s work gives profound insight into the difference between a fixed, pass/fail mindset and the realm of “not yet” and endless possibilities.
With a growth mindset, you see yourself as continually developing. Rather than say I can’t do this work – you will say I can’t do this work yet. If you have a fixed mindset, you will instead see yourself as failing and not give yourself the time you need to grow and get better at whatever you are doing. The “not yet” mentality changes the way a new graduate thinks. Studies show every time you are pushed out of your comfort zone to learn something new and difficult, the neurons in their brain start building new and stronger connections processing the resistance, correcting, and learning from it. It takes time. We need to stress the importance of a “not yet” way of thinking to new nurses even if they were straight-A students in their nursing programs. The feeling you can’t do something—the weight of the difficulty—that feeling of being “stuck” is not a distraction from the goal to be a nurse – it is the way you become a nurse.
© emergingrnleader.com 2022
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