Vulnerability Assignment Discussion
Every nurse enters the profession with the zeal and desire to make a difference. Throughout their career, they encounter vulnerable populations and are expected to offer help. Dealing with severe cases of patient’s illnesses, nurses can easily become vulnerable as a result of the stories and experiences of the patients. Vulnerability in healthcare has two major approaches. Firstly, is the outsider perspective which focuses on the susceptibility to and exposure and possibility to harm. Ideally, it is externally evaluated and is the predominant approach that is used in health care to identify the vulnerable groups in the community. On the other hand, the second approach is a lived-in experience of vulnerability which is a state of being threatened and having a feeling of fear of harm. Although literature focuses more on the outsider perspective of the patient’s vulnerability, nurses always experience vulnerability in their jobs.Vulnerability Assignment Discussion
It is imperative to note that there are psychological and physiological health implications of feeling and experiencing vulnerability. Therefore, it is important to recognize staff vulnerability to have a workforce that is fit to practice. The wellbeing of staff commensurate to better health outcome and thus the need to provide a stress-free working environment. However, due to the nature of nurses’ roles, it becomes difficult to achieve as they carry an emotional burden due to the stories and the experiences of their patients. The vulnerability of the patients can lead to emotional exhaustion and if the symptoms are not well addressed, it can lead to a breakdown. It is important to note that vulnerability can lead to both physiological and psychological effects of vulnerability. Some of the physiological symptoms are manifested in fatigue, tension, weight loss, depression, insomnia, acne, accident-prone, urinary, menstrual irregularities, back pain, and GI distress. On the other hand, the psychological effects are loss of control, helplessness, fear, desperation, feelings, uncertainty, inability to concentrate, loss of self-worth, powerlessness, and isolation among others.
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The one time I became vulnerable was during a time, I was stationed in a hospice and was working with older people. The daily interaction with the vulnerable patients deepened my vulnerability most of these patients suffered from dementia and the process of dementia is what led to feelings of vulnerabilities. Since dementia is an unpredictable disease, the residents tend to experience severe changes of emotion in short periods and as a result, this unpredictability led to feelings of hopelessness and feeling powerless. The patients would be fine one minute, joking, laughing and the next are physically and verbally abusive. As a new nurse, it was difficult to rationalize this behaviour and as a result, it took a toll on me. At first, I took it personally and as a result become overly distressed by it. One time, I was taking care of an elderly lady who kept telling me I’m the most wonderful person in the world and the next she became cold and said some hateful words, and I could not help but cry. It felt like walking on eggshells since they would flip in seconds. The unpredictability of dementia was traumatizing since I had developed close relationships with the residents. Sadly, the straw on the camel’s back was when a patient dies and you are unable to get over the feeling due to the attachment. Vulnerability Assignment Discussion
Vulnerability is a major concern in the nursing profession and the uncertainty, powerless to offer quality care, deaths, and emotional unpreparedness if not well managed, it can be overwhelming and could lead to a meltdown. Since the physiological and psychological effects can lead to negative patient outcomes, it is imperative to equip nurses on how to deal and handle emotional exhaustion. During my practice at the hospice, the hospital’s management organized training on adaptability and resilience which were supportive elements that helped us to adapt to the difficulty of the profession both mentally and physically. The clinical supervision encouraged us to have a balance in business life, to have control, professional identity, and hope which were factors that helped in coping with the emotional turmoil and vulnerability.
One of the ways the hospital’s management helped to build resilience was by cultivating attention and awareness. Awareness stretched across various domains, for example, awareness of my emotions allowed me to respond in a more rational way rather than being hijacked by the automatic responses. Further, we practiced breathing exercises before responding which helped not act on stimulus but take time to respond and adjust accordingly. Also, awareness of alternative options to a challenge and taking time to view things from a novel perspective helped to build resilience. Finally, the art of self-talk and listening to my inner voice helped to analyze whether something is logical and true and it was possible to change it more helpfully. I must admit vulnerability is evitable in this profession but I have mastered the art of resilience that will help in future occurrences. Being aware of the emotions associated with caring for vulnerable people is one step of being vulnerable. Vulnerability Assignment Discussion