Welcome Student Nurses

IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE A NURSE!

Creating a Positive Attitude

(Volume 1, #3)

Effective people know the importance of attitude. It can be the greatest asset a person can have, particularly when you are just starting our career. Completing your nursing education and beginning a new professional role is intimidating and stressful. You will need as many friends and as much positive reinforcement as you can get. That positive reinforcement needs to start with you. Having a positive attitude can be one of the most important skills and talents you bring to your nursing career

As a nurse, you will be sought after for your ideas and input on many things. Your body of expertise and knowledge makes you special and makes your input valuable. Your ideas about almost everything will be noticed by your patients, colleagues, and others. Attitudes are contagious. A conscious, positive attitude can work wonders. The problem lies in the fact that a negative attitude is just as contagious as a positive attitude.

The power of positive thinking has been demonstrated over and over. The pessimist sees the glass half empty and the optimist believes it is half full. Think about situations in your life where you have been exposed to other people, whether it be at work or in class. Remember how you felt when you encountered the person whose words were negative. No one wants to be around someone who is always negative.

But, everyone wants to be around someone who is positive. A person with an optimistic outlook makes everyone feel better. A person who finds fault with everything brings everyone down. A positive attitude can cover up a multitude of sins. We all have flaws, that is human nature. But the decision to dwell on what you cannot do or to celebrate what you can do is up to you. Whether it is in your work life, your organizational life, or your personal life, a positive attitude will propel you on the road to success.

Finally, attitude can also be a powerful tool when dealing with yourself. The impact of self-talk has been greatly underestimated. Think of the last time you took a test. When you left the testing room knowing that you missed several questions, what did you think about for the rest of the day? What did you talk about to your fellow classmates? What did you tell your spouse, family, roommate, or goldfish about as soon as you got home? I bet you focused on those two or three questions you missed. When is the last time you went home and said, "Wow, I got 98 out of 100 questions right on the test today." Chances are you said, "I can't believe I missed two questions on that test today!" We all focus on the negative unless we make a conscious effort to focus on the positive.

Take this challenge. When you drive home today, focus on all of the good things that happened to you. Do not dwell on the negative. Chances are good that most of your day was positive, but your tendency is to concentrate on that small percentage that was not positive. When we engage in negative self-talk, i.e. telling ourselves how bad things are, how bad we are, how poorly things went, how poorly we performed, we set up negative expectations. Children who are constantly criticized learn poor self-esteem. People who constantly criticize themselves create their own negative self-esteem. So, do not wait for someone else to compliment you or tell you how well you did. Tell yourself. Talk to yourself in glowing terms and brag on yourself in your own mind. See yourself succeeding, and you will succeed. Be your own best friend and propel yourself to success. It is all in your attitude. Like and respect yourself, and others will follow your lead.