As I write this, the 1st anniversary of SuperVisioNZ is upon us, and it is hard to believe that what started with difficulty accessing my own supervision as a Nurse Practitioner, has blossomed into a thriving service that continues to raise the positive attributes that professional supervision can offer to health professionals across New Zealand and now internationally. The addition of mentoring has expanded my audience and works nicely in synergy within the professional supervision space. During the first quarter of 2024, I welcomed my first international supervisee. I feel very privileged to be able to share my clients’ journeys with them regardless of geography or place of work. Many of my clients are Registered Nurses, Nurse Leaders, Nurse Practitioner Candidates and Nurse Practitioners. I also have allied health professionals and prehospital emergency clinicians. Each have different challenges, but each are open to having professional supervision because they believe reflection on practice is key to learning and improving their potential in the work they do regardless of area of expertise.
We are fortunate to have virtual platforms to help break down barriers to accessing supervision, professional support, and professional development. Each client teaches me many new things which I am also grateful for. Our journeys are all different however our roles equally important.
We are always learning. It is very easy to slip into feeling overwhelmed with our roles, so positive self-talk and following our own trajectory irrespective of what others are doing is key to stay on track. Embedded in this, is the ability to be self-aware.
In April had the pleasure of speaking at the Hauroa Taiwhenua National Rural Health Conference in Wellington. The topic of my presentation was “Self-Awareness and Reflection as a model for Workforce Sustainability.”
It was a storytelling presentation with some clear messages around the importance of understanding ourselves and becoming more self-aware around self-care to recognise unhealthy work behaviours. This includes the glorifying of working long hours and taking work home. I also talked about how burnout creeps up on us like a “thief in the night”, dragging us down a path that is difficult for us to recognise, while others are well aware of the consequence of over commitment at work, loss of self-awareness and the inability to recognise this in ourselves. I also talked about the important roles that HOPE and COURAGE play in the return from burnout, alongside a new finding out how to be self-compassionate. Prevention of burnout is key, and self-awareness can help us not head down that path. So, how does one become self-aware? The methods we individually choose will differ and there is no right or wrong. Some ideas are:
Keep a daily journal, challenge negative thoughts and feelings and practice gratitude for things that are going well.
Recognise things that are not going so well and seek solutions to not become overwhelmed. One way is to seek thoughts /feedback from others and promote collaboration in the workplace. Eg peer review. Share your challenges to avoid letting them consume you.
Identify your core values, are you meeting these, and if not, what changes can you implement?
Read fiction. This can be grounding and promotes gratitude if we reflect on our own situations.
Recognise and examine knee jerk emotional reactions and the impact this has on a situation or relationship.
Practice Mindfulness. Take time out to connect with yourself and reduce underlying anxiety through relaxation and distraction, whatever that means to you. Spending time in the moment is grounding and can help find / regain perspective.
Be kind to yourself.
Remember your wellbeing is essential to conquer whatever you are presented with in life, not only in our work. Self-awareness promotes resilience and helps conquer whatever challenges you may come up against.
I recently received this testimonial from a supervision client, and I think it captures nicely the essence of self-awareness utilising professional supervision as a way to achieve your dreams and goals.
"Professional supervision offered a reflective space where I could critically assess and identify areas in my practice requiring improvement.
This self-awareness was crucial for understanding my strengths and weaknesses as a clinician, which proved particularly beneficial as I prepared for the panel interview.
Furthermore, Kate's positive reinforcement and belief in my abilities significantly boosted my confidence ahead of the interview.
Overall, professional supervision provided an invaluable additional layer of support and guidance, greatly enhancing my preparation to become a Nurse Practitioner."
- Jade, Subacute Adult Medical Community Care and Long-term Conditions
As we enter the Winter months, I challenge you to put yourself first. I challenge you to really recognise what it takes to fill your bucket, and to make sure it’s full, to safely make it through the busy workspace while still having energy to share with family and friends.
If you can, get outside and enjoy the new season, the colours, and the picturesque view of Winter regardless of where you are in the motu.
Lastly, a huge Thank You to all my clients, and to those who have referred clients to me over the course of the last 12 months. It has been a real pleasure and I look forward to what the next 12 months brings for you all.
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