23// 7 Tips to Elevate Your Nursing Career by Choosing Self-Empowerment Daily

True empowerment isn't a gift, but a choice that you have the authority to make every day. This episode shows you how to take ownership of your career through empowerment. It's a weekly pledge, a commitment to principles that will elevate and sustain you in your professional life.

An element of self-empowerment is folded into each day of the week with a principle designed to boost your career and well-being. From the grit needed to chase dreams to the resilience that turns setbacks into comebacks, each day is a step closer to the pinnacle of personal achievement. Reflecting on the ebbs and flows that decorate every career path, this conversation is a reminder that you aren't alone. The episode is a call to arms, to build and rely on networks of mentorship, to share and receive wisdom, much like iron sharpens iron, ensuring we collectively rise to our best selves.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

The first step to empowering people is teaching them how to empower themselves. I've been going through just a few findings that I've gathered from the book, the Florence Prescription From Ownership to Accountability, and one of the major pieces that I have pulled out of this book is this concept of self-empowerment and we throw the word empowerment around, or engagement, because it was intertwined with engagement, understanding that engagement comes when people are empowered. But the one thing that stood out to me is just the fact that people need to be taught how to empower. People sometimes don't know what it means to be empowered or how to go about empowering themselves. Welcome to the Ambitious Nurse podcast, where I provide tips, tools and resources for the experienced nurse to put in your career bag to help you be a better person, a better leader, a better professional and, most of all, a better nurse.

Speaker 1: 1:19

I'm your host, bonnie Meadows, a career coach and a clinical nurse specialist with over 18 years of experience in health care and nursing. It's my passion to help experienced nurses develop their careers to impact health care and their communities, and that just reminds me of when I was in a position that I was in within quality, and this again was a position that was my dream position, but it just was not a good fit from a people standpoint. I learned a lot, I loved the work, but the people that I was working with, I was dealing with some serious lateral violence at the time, and so I referred to some of that last week when I talked about moving on in your and growing in your career without leadership support, and in this position was where I had to do that. But one of the things I remember is somebody that I didn't even directly report to, but I had a dotted line to, and they would always say okay, well, you take the lead on such and such, and you take the lead on this and you take the lead on that and I'm like, well, and in my mind I'm like well, what does that mean? So for you? I can tell you all day to empower yourself. Just do this, or empower yourself this way, or empower yourself. You just need to be empowered. And in your mind you're thinking, okay, well, I thought that's what I was doing. Mind, you're thinking, okay, well, I thought that's what I was doing, but it may not necessarily be what you're doing.

Speaker 1: 3:09

The book says that empowerment isn't something that can be given. It's a choice that must be made. No one can empower you but you, and once you've given yourself that power, no one can take it away from you. When you are empowered, you see opportunities where others see barriers. When you are empowered, you are a cheerleader when others are moaning doom and gloom. So it's almost like those people that if they see a problem, they're excited because they're like okay, there's opportunity for growth here, whereas somebody else may see a problem and be like we got to do, we got to deal with this again. And so this book just encourages you to face problems with a contrarian toughness, because it's in how we solve the problem that we differentiate ourselves from everyone else, and that's what helps you to grow. How are you solving the problem? How are you taking this opportunity to figure out how to shine your light in this particular situation? And if you and others are thinking the same way, then that breeds a better culture. There's a line also in the book that says culture eats strategy for lunch. But culture doesn't change until people change, and it's self-empowerment that helps people to change.

Speaker 1: 4:43

This book lists out seven principles of self-empowerment, so I'm going to go through those quickly on today and what that looks like for you. There's even like a self-empowerment principle or pledge, and I will walk through those because hopefully it will help you to change or enhance your perspective on your work situation in life at home. That's my goal. So the first self-empowerment principle is principle or pledge, because this pledge is responsibility. And it's so interesting, this goes by days of the week and there are simple promises that you give to yourself. And so Monday's promise, which is the first one, is responsibility. And it's so interesting that Monday is responsibility because that's the start of your week and you're making a choice. Okay, I'm going to make a plan and I'm going to be responsible for whatever I can be responsible for within this week, whatever I can be responsible for within this week.

Speaker 1: 6:04

It's really about the thought process that I can only control what I do. And so let me take responsibility and do those things to the best of my ability, of what I can do, those things that are within my span, of what I can do. And so the promise or the pledge that you would say with that is I will take complete responsibility for my health, my happiness, my success, my life and will not blame others for my problems or predicaments. Only you can go out and exercise for 10 to 15 minutes a day. Only you can make a plan for how you can eat healthier and in what ways you can do that. Only you can choose joy. Only you know what success looks like for your life. And you can't necessarily blame others for those events. Because even if somebody did do something, what part did you play in it? Now there are some situations where you didn't play not one part, but you can still turn it around and say it's my responsibility to take care of my own happiness, regardless of what happened to me in the past. My own happiness regardless of what happened to me in the past. What can I do to improve? What counseling do I need to get in order to move forward, move past heal?

Speaker 1: 7:35

So on my birthday, I do not work. I refuse to work on my birthday unless I've just started a job. I refuse to work on my birthday unless I've just started a job. And I do that because I don't want anybody else to mess up my day. I don't do it just because I don't like my job, because there are jobs that I've loved. I love my current job, but I still wouldn't work on that particular day because then that opens me up for other people to mess up my day. I don't want to blame nobody else. I'm going to take responsibility over my day that is dedicated to me. This is the day I was born and I'm going to celebrate me. I'm going to take responsibility for me and I'll protect myself on this day. So that's a little way of thinking about it.

Speaker 1: 8:20

So number two, tuesday's promise, is accountability. Self-empowerment means to be accountable. Why? Because it's on you. You don't want to be your biggest hindrance. So how are we going to do that? How are we going to be accountable? I will not allow low self-esteem, self-limiting beliefs or negativity of others prevent me from achieving my authentic goals and for becoming the person I am meant to be.

Speaker 1: 8:52

In one of my coaching programs, I was reminded that there are times when we even have family members or friends who may try to tell us that a route that we feel like in our hearts we should go. They don't think we should go that way, but they don't know the gift that God has placed in us. They don't, they may not see it. They don't know the yearning that is in our hearts or the calling that's upon our hearts, and so in their minds, they're trying to protect us. But in actuality, if we need to go in that opposite direction, we need to take accountability and say, no, this is the way I'm going to go. And so, regardless of what they think although, depending on who is coming from, it could take you, it could possibly take you to a low place or in your mind, you can think, oh, I can't do that. But then at that point you're now becoming your biggest hindrance. So just keep that in mind and don't allow low self-esteem, self-limiting beliefs and negativity, and negativity of others, to prevent you from achieving your goals.

Speaker 1: 10:04

Why are you going back to school? I had somebody say that before. Why are you going back to school? Because I want to, because that's my goal, that's my goal, that's what I desire to do. All right, next Wednesday. Now isn't it fitting that determination is Wednesday? It's hump day, that's the Wednesday promise in the self-empowerment pledge and how you develop self-empowerment, determination is if it's meant to be, it's up to me. I got to show up. It's wrapped into responsibility and accountability. I got to show up, even when I am afraid to. So how do we do that? I will do the things I am afraid to do, but which I know should be done. Sometimes this will mean asking for help to do that which I cannot do myself. So all of the I got it.

Speaker 1: 11:00

People, sometimes you need to ask for help. Sometimes you may need coaching when you think you've got it figured out. Sometimes you need to pull in some trusted advisors. Don't stop because it just doesn't feel right or you're afraid. Or assess it. Examine it, because emotions and feelings are valid. But from there, if you don't have all of the pieces and the tools you need to move forward, then get the help that you need in order to move forward. And so, if you are looking to grow, jump on a coaching call with me and we can figure out and help you get clarity on what your next step should be.

Speaker 1: 11:43

Thursday we've gotten through Monday, tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday was determination. Now, on Thursday, I have gotten over the hump. I have done the thing in which I am afraid to do. So now it's time for me to contribute. So Thursday's promise self-empowerment pledge is contribution.

Speaker 1: 12:05

This is how you self-empower yourself. It's giving. It's better to give than to receive, as they say. But the other piece to it is people need to see your teamwork and worth ethic, as you are always interviewing. This is how that directly applies to your career. You are always interviewing. This is how that directly applies to your career. You are always interviewing and you will hear me say that over and over again until you, until that settles in you You're always interviewing. So how do you do this? I will earn the help I need in advance by helping other people now and repay the help I need and repay the help I receive by serving others later. So don't get all the help and then you can't help when others need help. You're giving, but you will also receive, but make sure you're putting forth a contribution. Always make sure you're putting forth a contribution. Always make sure you're contributing in some way, shape, form or fashion.

Speaker 1: 13:09

And it doesn't mean, as I've heard someone say, it's not equal giving. It's not. Your level of giving might be different from someone else's. You don't worry about what everybody else is doing. You stay focused on what can I contribute, what is within my capacity to contribute, and you focus on that and you find the joy in that.

Speaker 1: 13:33

We've gotten to Friday and we need resilience. Resilience is our pledge and our promise for Friday. That's our word on how to be self-empowered by using resilience. Why? Because, as I have heard someone say before, every setback is a setup for a comeback. And if it's not a comeback, it's a move forward or it's a come up, whatever you want to say. That's how you gain self-empowerment and how you are empowered to do things just a little bit differently, how you are empowered to see things just a little bit differently. And so how do you see that I will face rejection and failure with courage, awareness and perseverance, making these experiences the platform for future acceptance and success. I've grown a lot in my career, but I've also been rejected for positions that knew I was well qualified for. And as I look back on those rejections, I'm like thank you Lord, I didn't get it, because that wasn't the best place for my trajectory in my career and it would have led me down a path that I shouldn't have gone and I might would have been miserable. Resilience, it's not fun, it's not cute, but it's a setup for a comeback. So then, on Saturday, you've got your self-empowerment promise, your pledge.

Speaker 1: 15:19

How do you develop self-empowerment? It's perspective. Perspective is the word. Why? Because there is gold in failing and learning from failure. It goes nicely with resilience. So, after you've developed resilience, that resilience helps you to develop perspective. So the phrase behind this is though I might not understand why adversity happens, by my conscious choice I will find strength, compassion and grace through my trials. Oh my gosh, I have had to do this with terrible bosses, micromanaging bosses. You know how hard it is to have perspective in those situations.

Speaker 1: 16:03

I was just talking to a friend of mine who is dealing with different leadership I just call it different and she said I think about and focus on the process and the person. That is empowerment and that is perspective, because when you are dealing with leadership like that, your day can be your, every day can be miserable. If you allow them to make you miserable, or you can focus on the process, you can gain a different perspective and you can understand that they still have no power over your career and your future. Only God does so. You keep it moving and you do what you need to do to abide by the rules, to make sure the process is covered and that you're covered.

Speaker 1: 16:59

Lastly, on Sunday, what is the way to empower yourself in your career and to be self-empowered? It's having faith, because belief is what keeps you humble and grounded. That's why. So how do you do that? My faith and gratitude for that I have been blessed with will shine through in my attitudes and in my actions, because you understand that, even though it's up to you to move forward, you still have to take action. Faith without works is dead.

Speaker 1: 17:40

So you took the action, but have faith and believe that that action is going to yield something. More than likely, it will yield what you want it to yield, but it's your trust and belief will take you to a place of it yielding to something that's for your good. That's the desire, and so I hope that you have taken some notes and taken some time to really think about am I empowered? I want you to take away these principles, these seven principles, and think to yourself am I empowering myself? Am I empowered? Do I feel empowered? Because feeling empowered would mean that you would have these things in place.

Speaker 1: 18:28

Sometimes we ebb and flow in that, because there are times when I have not had good perspective and I've had to have others talk me off the ledge so that I could gain better perspective. Sometimes we ebb and flow in these things and we might lose some steam, but generally these are the things that keep you empowered and they help you to have a different perspective on your career, on your work and in your life, and they help you to have a brighter attitude about things. It gives you more clarity. So take action, take responsibility, action, take responsibility and then, at the end of the day, have faith, trust and believe that the right thing is going to happen and it will come through for you and you will move forward and you will grow and make an impact. That's how it is placed on your heart to do so.

Speaker 1: 19:28

See you next time. See you next time so you don't miss a future episode. Also, please consider leaving a rating, review and or comment about what you want to hear. This helps more nurses, just like you find this podcast. Thank you for joining me, bonnie Meadows, on the Ambitious Nurse Podcast. I look forward to chatting with you the next time and remember you don't have to grow your career alone. As iron sharpens iron, one person sharpens another. Thank you for letting me sharpen you as you take this knowledge to sharpen the next.