The Self-actualizing Nurse

Knowing Self -- Knowing Other

Susan Kleiman, PhD, RN, CS, NPPE-mail: susank@humanistic-nursing.comWeb: www.humanistic-nursing.comPhone: 347 275-3669

What is self-actualization?

Origins of self-actualization as it relates to nursing

What are the qualities observed in the self-actualizing nurse?

Balancing the agenda

Becoming Self-actualized

Characteristics of self-actualization

What is self actualization?

• Self-actualization is a process of emotional and moral development that contributes to the more-being and well-being of each individual. The self-actualizing nurse is one who is engaged in the process of becoming true to herself and those with whom she goes through life’s experiences.

Self-actualization in nursing

• Self-actualizing nurses:• Place value on what they do as

nurses and nursing as a profession• Examine their own nursing experiences in

order to unconceal and illuminate the essential aspects of those experiences, bringing those essential aspects into current consciousness

• Learn to know themselves and through that knowing know others.

Origins of self-actualization as it relates to nursing

Josephine Paterson and Loretta Zderad

introduced the idea of self-actualization

into nursing some forty years ago. They

made some important observations on

self-actualization in their studies of the

experiences of over 200 nurses.

Characteristics of self-actualization

• The values and meanings expressed by

self-actualizing nurses are internally

generated not externally imposed.

Characteristics of self-actualization

• Values and meaning are unconcealed and

illuminated through reflection and

examination of nurses experiences of

being in the world and their world of

nursing

Characteristics of self-actualization

• The self-actualizing nurse expresses

these important values and manifests

complementary behaviors in both

demeanor and actions.

Characteristics of self-actualization

• Self-actualization, once experienced,

becomes a continuous process of always

striving to develop and achieve higher

levels of excellence and gratification.

What are the qualities observed in the self-actualizing nurse?

• The presentation of the self-actualizing

nurse is one of competence and

confidence.

What are the qualities observed in the self-actualizing nurse?

• The attitude of the self-actualizing nurse

radiates with positive vibes to her

patients, families, co-workers, and

community.

What are the qualities observed in the self-actualizing nurse?

• The self-actualizing nurse is a locus for

high quality care and patient satisfaction.

What are the qualities observed in the self-actualizing nurse?

• The self-actualizing nurse, by her mere

“presence,” makes a difference in the lives

of everyone she encounters.

Balancing the Agenda

• Nurses face many challenges in the pursuit of professional growth and satisfaction.

• Do any of you ever ask yourself, Why did I become a nurse?

Balancing the Agenda

• Engaging in the process of self-actualization in addition to skills training and scientific knowledge acquisition can help nurses to become empowered to alleviate and overcome gross dissatisfaction and frustration with the current health care milieu and move towards nursing practice that manifests strongly held beliefs and values.

Take up the challenge

• Know thyself

• Reflect on your experiences and

unconceal what is important to you

• Find your voice and use it!

• Re-emphasize your commitment to

making a difference in the lives of others

Becoming self-actualized

Because the concepts and modes of

acquiring self-actualization are quite

abstract and complex, it may be difficult,

although not impossible, for a particular

nurse to embark on a journey of self-

actualization.

Self-actualization is not a solitary process

• Develop a community of nurses

Seek out nurses to dialogue with

Seek out literature on self-actualization

Seek out role models

Support each other in the struggle

Seek encouragement, support, and guidance from

managers and administratorsRequest their support and emphasize that

monitoring agencies and professional

organizations are interested in what

institutions are doing to support the

development and satisfaction of their

nurses.

Seek encouragement, support, and guidance from

managers and administrators

Point out that the literature also indicates

that helping nurses to become self-

actualized will have a mitigating effect on

such important issues as the nursing

shortage, nurses job satisfaction, and

patient and nurse safety issues.

Seek encouragement, support, and guidance from

managers and administrators

There are also possibilities for educational

activities sponsored by the health care

institutions where you work.

Becoming the most you can possibly be.Self-actualized people:

• -are aware and recognize their total response within themselves to a particular person in a particular here and now and are in touch with their immediate impressions or responses to reality before labeling, categorizing or judging it.

• -display an availability, readiness, and acceptance with receptivity to the immediate experience and its uniqueness.

• -are reality-centered, which means they can differentiate what is fake and dishonest from what is real and genuine.

• -are problem-centered, meaning they treat life’s difficulties as problems demanding solutions, not as personal troubles to be railed at or surrendered to.

• -are inclined to believe that there is a difference between means and ends. They feel that the ends don’t necessarily justify the means, that the means could be ends themselves, and that the means -- the journey -- is often more important than the ends.

• have an un-hostile sense of humor -- preferring to joke at their own expense, or at the human condition, and never directing their humor at others.

• - enjoy autonomy• -display acceptance of self and others, if

some quality of theirs or others is not harmful, they let it be, even enjoying it as a personal quirk.

• -are authentic, preferring to be themselves.

• -are spontaneous and prefer simplicity.

• - display a sense of humility and respect towards others and are open to ethnic and individual variety, even treasuring it.

• - have a social interest and compassion for humanity accompanied by strong ethics, which is spiritual but seldom conventionally religious in nature.

• -have a certain freshness of appreciation, an ability to see things, even ordinary things, with wonder.

• -tend to be creative, inventive, and original.

What kind of nurse

would you like to be?

What kind of nurse do you

want to greet you or a

member of your family when

you are asking for help with a

health related concern?

• Copyright Notice

• All the materials attached hereto and contained herein are the property of Dr. Susan Kleiman. Any use of this material whatsoever without the express written consent of the copyright holder are strictly prohibited under law.