Self Awareness

The most valuable resource of a nurse is the ability to use one’s self, it is important to be aware of personal stress that can interfere with one’s ability to communicate therapeutically with patients. If the nurse is overwhelmed with personal or work problems, the energy available for patients is greatly induced. (Rossberg and Friss, 2003) This research was conducted in the selected 3rd year nursing students of UPHS-GMA CAVITE. The study would determine the effectiveness of self awareness as a preparation for handling psychiatric patients.

Common concerns of nursing students beginning a psychiatric clinical rotation include fear of saying the wrong thing, not knowing what to do, being rejected by clients, being threatened physically, recognizing someone they know as a client and similar problem or background with clients. The awareness of one’s feeling, beliefs, attitudes, values and thought called self-awareness, is essential to practice of psychiatric nursing. The goal of this self-awareness is to know oneself so that one’s values, attitude, beliefs are not projected by to the client, interfering with nursing care.

Self-awareness does not mean having to change one’s belief unless one’s desire to do so. Awareness is the first step in the creation process. As you grow in self awareness, you will better understand why you feel, what you feel and why you behave as you behave. That understanding then gives you the opportunity and freedom to change those things you’d like to change about yourself and create the life you want. Without fully knowing who you are, self acceptance and change become impossible.

Having clarity about who you are and what you want, empowers you to consciously and actively make those wants a reality. Self awareness gives us the skill in establishing relationship with clients of different values, belief, attitudes and principles. This is achieved by student’s utilization of aspect in his or her personality, values, feelings and coping skills commonly known as the therapeutic use of self. Individualized care becomes important when we need to get to know the patient.

To obtain this knowledge the we must see patients as individual people with lives beyond their mental illness. Seeing people as individuals with lives beyond their mental illness is imperative in making patients feel valued and respected In order to accept the patient as an individual, the students must not be controlled by his or her own values, or by ideas and pre-understanding of mental health patients. We the researchers recognized personal vulnerability in order to develop professionally.

Required knowledge on humanistic, basic human values and self knowledge that improves the depth of understanding the self. Lastly we must need to maintain a positive therapeutic relationship to the psychiatric patient in clinical setting. We requires a great deal of patience and understanding. Different personalities affect the way students responds to their patient. “the more self aware, the more knowledge on how to deal with psychiatric patient”. Interpersonal are skills needed to form relationship with patient were acquired through learning about oneself.