Perspective for the nurse’s soul
I collect heart shaped rocks. The thing with heart shaped rocks is that you have to see them straight on or it will look like something entirely different than a heart. It depends on what perspective from which I am looking at the rock as to what I see.
Perspective is defined by Webster, as: 1) A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view. 2) The art of drawing solid objects on a two-dimensional surface so as to give the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position in relationship to each other.
Of course we understand and can use perspective while taking pictures or drawing a town. We can make things look close or far away just by changing an angle. Can we do this with life situations too? We give something more importance, assign good or bad, just by the angle we are looking at it. We make something seem important just because it appears big.
We do this as nurses. If we take our assessment of a patient strictly from what the paper says about them, or what another nurse says about them, we will “see’ that patient all wrong. If we come into work from the angle that our shift is going to suck and see everything from that vantage point; then yes indeed, it will suck.
Our perspective of life contains two things that we can control. We can control our attitude and we can control the amount and type of energy we put forth. If we desire to have a positive attitude and to exude positive energy and effort then we need to change our perspective at times.
To change ones perspective, one must ask him/herself if what they are seeing/feeling/hearing is real or something imagined. AND if it is real, can I do something about it. AND if it is not real, can I look at it from a different angle.
Whether you are looking for the good in a situation or looking for that heart shaped rock, it might not be showing up in the path you are currently walking on; step a few steps to the left or right and look down again. There it is. You just need to change perspectives. Look at work, co-workers, patients, administration, family members, and friends from a new angle when you can no longer see them clearly. Get a new perspective on life. It will change everything.