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| SELF-AWARENESS ISSUES |
Self-awareness is the process by which
the nurse gains recognition of his or her own feelings,
beliefs, and attitudes. In nursing, being aware
of one’s feelings, thoughts, and values is a primary
focus. Self-awareness is particularly important in
mental health nursing. Everyone, including nurses
and student nurses, has values, ideas, and beliefs that
are unique and different from others. At times, the
student’s values and beliefs will conflict with those of
the client or with the client’s behavior. The nurse must
learn to accept these differences among people and
view each client as a worthwhile person regardless of
that client’s opinions and lifestyle. The student does
not need to condone the client’s views or behavior;
he or she merely needs to accept it as different from
his or her own and not let it interfere with care.
For example, a nurse who believes that abortion
is wrong may be assigned to care for a client who has
had an abortion. If the nurse is going to help the client,
he or she must be able to separate his or her own beliefs
about abortion from those of the client. The student
must be certain that personal feelings and beliefs
do not interfere with or hinder the client’s care.
The nurse can accomplish self-awareness through
reflection, spending time consciously focusing on how
one feels and what one values or believes. Although
we all have values and beliefs, we may not have really
spent time discovering how we feel or what we believe
about certain issues such as suicide or a client’s refusal
to take needed medications. The nurse needs to
discover himself or herself and what he or she believes
before trying to help others with different views.
