Being a Happy Nurse

Here are my six top tips for being a happier nurse at work.

Remember that only you can really make you happy, so stop waiting for management, your colleagues or the job to magically get better and start to do it for yourself!

1. Know who you are. Having a good idea who you are, and what it is you like to spend your time doing in your job, is the first step. Make a list of everything you have ever done that you enjoyed - in and out of work - and see how many you include in your current role. If it's not many, you can start to add some activities to your day that you enjoy and that give you a feeling of joy.

2. What do you actually do? Keep a diary for a week of the tasks that you spend your time actually doing. When we are in the middle of work we can lose sight of what we are sepnding our time on. How much time do you do each task, and do you like doing it? What is the balance between tasks you love and those you never liked doing?

3. Look at the parts of the job that are a good match to you, and that you enjoy. This will be different for everyone. Do you love to teach, care for patients, solve problems, coordinate a work station or make your colleagues laugh? Nursing is a rewarding job, so write down what you enjoy.
Focus on the good parts and write a 'gratitude list' every day of things you liked, tasks you did well, colleagues you enjoyed working with and grateful patients. What you focus on increases, so focus on the good bits - this will help you to feel better right away!

4. Link the parts together - what does your job involve? Which parts do you like and dislike? Look at ways to do what you enjoy more often, and know that it is important for you to enjoy yourself at work. Work should be a major joy in life and if it isn't it can affect our health and those around us. make yourslef as improtant as your patients. Put your needs as high as theirs.

5. Have you been in the job too long, or are you in the 'wrong' one? If the activities you love to do have no link with your job, perhaps you need to look at earning money in a different way. If you are merely bored, and not learning or growing anymore - start to think about what would rekindle your love for nursing. What sort of job would you love to do? What topics interest you that you would like to learn more about?

6. Is your work-life balance out of whack? It is easy to make your job the scapegoat in an unhappy life, but look at all aspects of your life. Your hobbies, relationships, fun, development, health and wellbeing should all add to the fun and fulfillment in your life. Take an hour to look at these areas, and take action in areas where you are not fulfilled. Sign up for a class, phone an old buddy for a chat, go out with your partner, read a great book.....
Working fewer hours, and having more time for your children/ horse riding/ making quilts/ baking cakes might be the answer. There are many ways to make money in the world. I personally nurse, write, coach and am creating a web community - all money making enterprises!

How could you add to your portfolio of skills to make you more money with less drudgery and more fun and fulfillment?

I hope this has given you some food for thought. Spend a month doing these exercises and let me know how you get on!