Let's talk about setbacks.
A while back, I had an amazing opportunity to work in telephone triage for a prestigious hospital. It looked awesome on paper, the organization had a union, I knew the manager and worked well with her in the past. Also, it was not direct care nursing, so no more wearing scrubs!
It looked like everything was going to fall into place. Until I had an interview with another manager and the first question I was asked was "Why shouldn't I hire you?" My confidence I had when I walked into the door went out the window. I was not prepared for that question and was completely thrown off. It set the tone for the whole interview. I was anxious and uncomfortablee, I even ended up crying at one point. Long story short, I bombed the interview and did not get that job.
Bombing that interview was devastating because this was the first job I had ever applied for which I had an interview and didn't get the job. I was so frustrated with myself that the question shook me that badly at the moment. I had experienced a setback and was making it mean that I was not going to be successful.
If I could go back in time and talk to 31 year old me on the bus ride home, I would tell her this:
When we take chances and go after our dreams, we will face setbacks. Setbacks have NOTHING to do with failure. Setbacks are a required piece of the work we must do to become successful and achieve our goals. The only time a setback becomes a failure is when we make it the stopping point.
So how do you overcome setbacks?
Expect setbacks.
Children are going to get sick. Work cultures are going to change. You are going to say the wrong things at the wrong time. Technology will stop working right before the end of your shift and you haven't charted anything. And perhaps you are even going to bomb an interview for the perfect job. Setbacks are a part of life and instead of getting flustered when they happen, approach life like they are going to happen.
Make a decision that the setback is not going to stop you.
I didn't land the job and I could have easily focused on how I wasn't good enough or that I was wasting my time, but instead, I focused on getting better. I never wanted to be in the situation where I couldn't answer a "negative" question during an interview so I looked up online all the worst and hardest interview questions. I looked at each one and created my own unique answers so if I was asked, I would be prepared. I even created the best ever response for the question "Why shouldn't I hire you."
You get to decide what is a setback and what is not.
At the time I viewed that whole interview as a huge setback like I had missed my chance to be in an amazing job and probably would not be lucky enough to find another position like that in San Francisco. However, eight months later a nurse navigation position opened up in my hospital. I applied and was set up with an interview. I prepared for this and reviewed the toughest questions I could to prep for this interview. While I did not get asked, "Why shouldn't I hire you." I was prepared and confident to answer it if it came up. I ended up getting the navigation job which I have worked in for over three years now and it is my favorite area of nursing to work in yet. The triage job was never really a setback, but an experience that helped me be more prepared for being more confident and ready for dream job.
P.S.
Thank you for reading! Whatever setbacks you are facing whether it's in your life or in your nursing career, you don't have to do it alone. Let's talk and figure out a plan to get you over your setbacks and back to making progress to getting the life you want. Go to the www.burnoutward.com where you can sign up for a FREE session where we will work together to set you up for success in your career and life.
P.P.S
I am launching a five day course titled Five Days to Authentic Resiliency. I am really excited to offer this course for people who want to be more resiliency and overcome burnout/moral injury. It will go over the three things I have done to manage the stress, setbacks, and other challenges that come with working in a modern healthcare system. Join the Burnout Ward Community so you can get access to this course the moment it comes available.
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