Take a Fresh Look

Assessment is the first step. “Take a close look at yourself and find the source of your frustration or sense of being stale,” says Amy Freeman, RN, MS, senior vice president for patient care services at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore. Nurses can find greater satisfaction in their job by taking a fresh look at their practice, according to Bette Case, RN, PhD, a consultant in Chicago and author of Career Planning for Nurses. But she cautions that “self-assessment is an attitude and an ongoing approach — not a one-time fix,” she explains. Freeman and Case offer the following suggestions for examining your practice:

Assess your response to the various aspects of your current job. What makes you smile? What do you really love to do? How can you incorporate more of the pleasurable activities? If you feel restricted in your ability to be the nurse you’ve always envisioned, think about how you can position yourself so that your practice is closer to your vision.

Look at your practice environment in offbeat ways. Travel a new route to and from the parking lot, the bus stop, or lunch. Train yourself to view your environment through others’ eyes and consider various perspectives. Imagine yourself in your patients’ shoes and those of other caregivers, administrators, and visitors. Are resources readily available? Or does the unit need a team leader to bring them together?

Look at your community and consider both the unmet needs and the potential sources of support for new programs. “There are so many opportunities for nurses individually and collectively that they don’t need to live with dissatisfaction,” says Freeman. “It’s a matter of thinking it all through.”

Think Positively

Dissatisfaction at work can cause a vicious downward spiral among coworkers. Chronic complainers are either shunned, or they unwittingly bring other people down. As more and more people bemoan their situation, unhappiness may be the only topic that coworkers feel they can talk about.

The antidote may be as simple as a positive attitude. “It’s contagious,” says Terry Braun, director of human resources at Boca Raton Community Hospital in Boca Raton, Florida. “Don’t dwell on the negatives. Look for the positives and talk those up to your coworkers and customers. This elevates everybody’s attitude.”

Many nurses turn to a colleague away from their immediate work group to air their frustrations and complaints. They recognize the difference between confronting problems constructively and venting feelings. They address problems before the issues get out of hand, but let off steam by talking to friends away from the unit.

Instead of dwelling on the problems, offer possible solutions. “Make positive suggestions for improvement,” says Braun. “Be positive about change — don’t wait for the boss, a coworker, or a complaint to fuel the fire of reform.”

Braun also suggests finding the comradeship and inherent satisfaction of shared work: “Do the very best you can possibly do, even if it means going the extra mile. This may not be noticed in the short term, but long term, people will take notice. Helping coworkers above and beyond the call of duty will boost your self-satisfaction and their appreciation,” explains Braun.

Offer sincere feedback that compliments coworkers when they handle a difficult situation well. Thank your colleagues when they help you, and make sure to share the compliments you receive from patients and staff to everyone who was involved. Point out the things that went well. Even the most hectic day holds at least one accomplishment that’s worth feeling proud of.

Jump in Head First

Some nurses find refreshed satisfaction by becoming more involved at work, volunteering for committees, or stepping up on the clinical ladder. “We encourage people to continue their education so they can apply for positions in-house and promote themselves,” says Nancy Mueller-Davis, senior recruiter at Northwest Covenant Medical Center, a group of hospitals in New Jersey. “Everyone has an opportunity to be promoted from within,” she states.

Hospitals, such as Northwest Covenant Medical Center, offer staff nurse involvement through shared governance and teams. For example staff nurses were included on the team that interviewed candidates for a director-level position. Nurses are encouraged to offer suggestions through the “Flight-of-Ideas” program that rewards useful suggestions with money and a drawing for an extra week’s vacation and a travel award. One team of nurses identified the need for more expertise and empathy in caring for hospitalized seniors, and the team designed an in-house program to certify nurses in geriatrics.

A Balancing Act

Other nurses are more satisfied at work when they invest more time and energy away from their job. They build solid relationships at home with family and friends and enrich their lives with entertainment, exercise, travel, religious affiliations, hobbies, or volunteer work. One such nurse declined almost every opportunity for overtime because he wanted to spend as much time as he could with his daughter. Another nurse claimed to have an “advanced practice degree” in the art of leaving work at work. Within 10 minutes of ending her shift she could be sailing or swimming — pastimes that restored her sense of well-being after a long day of meeting other people’s needs. Yet another decided to return to school part time because she realized that she had outgrown her current job and needed a degree to qualify for the next level of challenge in her career. Rather than remain unsatisfied at work, she positioned herself for greater reward.

By taking care of themselves, these nurses maintain a high level of performance at work. Their coworkers and employers benefit because these nurses are rarely sick, and they don’t get bogged down in petty grievances and the inevitable frustrations of nursing. Their patients benefit, too, because these nurses have more energy, patience, and emotional resourcefulness. According to one, "I strive for a balance between my personal and professional lives that makes both areas exciting and rewarding."

Jeffrey Zurlinden, RN, MS, ACRN, is a contributing editor for the Chicago/NE Illinois & NW Indiana Edition of Nursing Spectrum.