[Nurse] Tears at Dr. Kuroda's 'Well done'... How to keep your heart from withering in a workplace where you are never praised
To the nurses who are being grilled by their preceptors every day and losing confidence, thinking I'm no good, or to you who are exhausted by the atmosphere that no matter how hard you work, it's just 'expected of you'.
The medical field today has lost more 'leeway' than ever before due to chronic staffing shortages and the wave of efficiency.
Mistakes are thoroughly investigated, but fine plays are overlooked as just 'part of the job'.
Such a deduction-based evaluation system and the current reality where a culture of praise is overwhelmingly lacking are quietly stealing the 'work satisfaction' of many nurses.
That is precisely why I want to rethink the 'power of words' now.
99 times of strictness and 1 time of 'affirmation'
Code Blue, 1st Season. Dr. Shuji Kuroda, who boasted that 'a surgeon's skill is determined by the number of surgeries performed' and kept his fellows at a strict distance.
Do you remember the one word he let slip at the end of episode 6?
'...Well done.'
It was the word he said over his shoulder in the elevator hall to Aizawa (Tomohisa Yamashita), who had successfully performed a difficult surgery while carrying the emotional wound of learning the truth about his mother's death.
If Dr. Kuroda had been the type to praise people with 'Great job!' all the time, those words wouldn't have resonated so deeply.
It is precisely because there are 99 times of strictness that a single 'affirmation' shines like a diamond.
Even Aizawa, who didn't show off his skills, must have wanted to be 'recognized' somewhere in his heart.
That one word was the moment his strained loneliness was rewarded.
Can you keep running without 'gasoline'?
We medical professionals are lonely.
If you cause an incident, you are hung out to dry at a conference, but even if you complete your work perfectly on time, no one will applaud you.
You need 'gasoline for tomorrow.' Someone to see you and affirm you.
Without that, no matter how excellent the engine is, it will eventually burn out.
'I need gasoline too... I wonder if someone could praise me.' Thinking that is by no means being spoiled. It is a healthy desire as a human being.
The art of 'self-generation' in a workplace that doesn't praise you
It would be wonderful to have a boss like Dr. Kuroda, but reality is rarely that kind.
Here is a prescription (tips) you can start tomorrow to keep your heart from drying up due to a lack of recognition.
1. Self-generate with a 'What I Accomplished' diary
Instead of waiting for evaluation from others, try writing down three small things you accomplished before going to sleep, such as 'I secured the IV line on the first try' or 'I answered the nurse call immediately.'
The habit of acknowledging yourself is the strongest armor you can have.
2. Keep the patients' words as your charm
Even if your boss doesn't praise you, the 'thank you' from a patient never lies.
Write down the words that made you happy and look back at them when things get tough.
Just doing that makes you feel like you can keep going a little longer.
3. Become 'Dr. Kuroda' yourself first
Try saying 'Well done' or 'You were a big help' to your juniors and colleagues. Recognition is a boomerang.
The warm words you throw out will eventually come back to you.
Words can sometimes be more effective than medicine.
If your hard work is being dismissed as 'just part of the job' where you are now,
there is definitely a place or a person somewhere in this world who will truly see your value and how much you wear yourself out every day for your patients.
Why not start today by cherishing those small words of mutual recognition, both for yourself and for those around you?
On my blog, 'Nurse X's Conference Room,' I delve deeper into this mechanism of 'recognition' and explain 'concrete criteria for deciding when to leave an environment where you aren't valued'.
- The line between a strict boss and 'power harassment'
- The risks of staying in a hospital that uses a 'deduction-based' evaluation system
- How to get your 'hard work' reflected in your salary and benefits
I've left a more detailed prescription (chart) over there that you need to protect yourself.
▼Read the rest on the blog 'Nurse X's Conference Room'
