The Mindful and Resilient Nursing Instructor

Each month the Mindful and Resilient Nurse monthly provides great tips that nurses and nursing students can apply to manage their stress, improve their health and build their resilience. This month I thought I would target a slightly different audience. Just as we know that patient care quality increases with a mindful and resilient nurse, the quality of education is increased when students are led by a mindful and resilient nursing instructor.

Now, more than ever, nurse educators must make ourselves a priority. This has obviously been a trying year for all of us around the world. I don’t need to tell you the myriad of “curveballs” we’ve been thrown and the toll it’s taking on our mood, health, patience, emotions, and personal lives. How can we expect to empower students if we aren’t empowering ourselves?

I know what you might be thinking… “you just finished acknowledging how taxing this past year has been and now you want me to put more on my plate?!” You make a very valid point! One of the most powerful tactics I have utilized is spending the first few minutes of class, lab, or clinical meditating with my students. All that you need is 4-5 minutes! I am optimistic that you will very quickly see this as an investment of the remaining time with your students. When I meditate with my students, I find that I can more easily filter out my life stressors and distractions so that my students can have the present, focused, well-intentioned instructor that they deserve.

Another approach that I have started employing is to set my own “business hours”. I set an intention each day to stop working at a certain time. Some days look different than others, however, if I am grading papers, preparing lectures, or answering emails from home. I will tell myself, “at 5pm, I will change my focus to be present with my family”. Our work is never ending, but if I hold myself accountable to setting boundaries, this is actually an investment in myself and my students.

Lastly, when we collectively shift our mindset that we don’t have to work every minute of every day, we not only become better versions of ourselves, but we model this behavior to our students. Nurses are extremely driven individuals; but we cannot sustain our profession on the notion that work is prioritized above all else.

Pass It On

If you know of a nursing student or faculty member who could benefit from these self-care and resiliency building tips, please forward this on to them so they can sign up here for the free Mindful and Resilient Nurse monthly tip.

Want to Learn More?

If you found this tip valuable and are looking for further options to build your resilience, or that of your nursing students, please consider our Mindful and Resilient Nurse Program. Feel free to contact us to discuss how this program can be seamlessly weaved into your curriculum or simply be another resource you provide to your stressed-out students.