“Be humble in your confidence, yet courageous in your character”- Melanie Koularis
Confidence isn’t something that comes easily, but it is an important attribute to have. You aren’t born with confidence; you must work your way up to it. Once you have achieved confidence in something you do, it is a great tool that can help you in your work. There are many areas in nursing where you need confidence. You need confidence when conversing with patients, their loved ones, and especially others on the healthcare team with you. There is also confidence needed for performing direct patient care and other nursing skills or procedures. Even if you lack experience in the medical setting, being prepared and organized will make your transition into the clinical setting smoother. Since confidence doesn’t grow overnight, it’s alright to “fake it, until you make it”! Being confident in yourself is a great trait to have, but it’s always good to take a step back and avoid crossing the line of letting your confidence get the best of yourself or a situation. The last thing you want to be as a student is arrogant or too confident in your behavior.
No matter how far I come, I always find myself comparing where I am now to the young, nervous student I was walking into my very first clinical rotation. My classmates and I always chuckle about how we were all so scared to knock on patients’ doors and throw ourselves into a new setting. Whether it was waking them up for morning vitals, setting them up for breakfast, or asking to assess them, we were cautious in our actions and the words we chose. And if we thought our first patient interaction was nerve-wracking, wait until you asked us about talking to the nursing staff or other healthcare providers! I think a lot of the shyness and reluctance came from us not wanting to bother anyone in their already stressful, busy work day. However, it is our time to learn, and we should take advantage of having firsthand experience, so we don’t regret missing out on the learning opportunity later!