SELF AWARENESS:

STRATEGIES OF NURSES
FOR PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPEMENT
OLANIYAN OLAJUMOKE FAVOUR
198648
Seminar in Nursing
NSG 533
Lecturer: Mrs Ifeoluwapo Kolawole
 INTRODUCTION
 “Self-awareness is a multidimensional, introspective process used
to become aware of, scrutinize, and understand one’s thoughts,
feelings, convictions and values on an ongoing basis with the use of
this understanding to consciously and authentically guide behavior”
(Eckroth-Bucher, 2010).

 Self-awareness is an ongoing process and needs conscious efforts.

It is important for nurses to know themselves well and it ultimately
helps them to build a therapeutic environment of caring and healing.
The purpose of engaging in self-awareness is understanding the
personal inner world and the interpersonal outer world.
 INTRODUCTION
 Statement of problem:
 Self‐awareness is important for the personal and professional development
of nurses, for developing an effective nurse–patient relationship and for
improving nursing abilities. Despite its importance in nursing and therapeutic
nurse–patient relationship and its evolving nature, the knowledge base for
self‐awareness in nursing remains under‐examined.

 Objectives:
 To outline the importance of self-awareness to the development of the
nursing profession.
 A SELF AWARE NURSE
 Possessing a clear sense of self-awareness will help nurses engage
professionally with a diverse patient population and modify behavior as
needed. The self-aware nurse is able to:
 Better assess one’s ability to provide care and assess patient needs.
 Pivot when needed in evolving situations.
 Prevent situations from getting out of control.
 Maintain self-esteem and self-efficacy.
 Be confident in difficult situations.
 Build strong skills in the area of resilience, decision-making, and
communication.
 Improve interpersonal and professional relationships
 IMPORTANCE OF SELF AWARENESS
TO NURSING
 Self awareness helps to have a clear understanding of one’s own abilities,
strengths, and weaknesses, as well as how these affect the care and service
provided to patients. Being self-aware allows nurses to better understand
their own biases and ensure that the care they provide is free of any prejudice
or judgement.
 Self-awareness helps nurses to recognize their own personal limitations,
which can help ensure that they do not take on too much responsibility and
become overwhelmed.
 Examples of self-awareness in nursing include being aware of one’s own
stress levels, boundaries, and workload; being able to identify and manage
one’s own emotions and reactions; and recognizing the impact of one’s own
actions on the patient-nurse relationship.
 IMPORTANCE OF SELF AWARENESS TO
FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
 Self-awareness helps to become better at observing their own feelings, thoughts,
and actions. One example of self-awareness in the workplace is when a nurse is
open about her or his weaknesses and seeks feedback from their employer to
identify areas for improvement.
 As a result, nurses can become better at understanding their own emotions, gain
a better understanding of how to improve, and make informed decisions about
their work. Nurses can work with their employers to develop plans for improving,
as well as ensure that they are adequately prepared to meet their responsibilities.
 Self-awareness also helps healthcare professionals to remain professional and
objective when interacting with patients, which is essential to providing quality
care.
 ONGOING PROCESS OF SELF AWARENESS

 The ongoing process of self-awareness can be organized as follows:

 Intrapersonal: focuses on exploring the nurses’ personal self and examining
personal thoughts.
 Relational: allows oneself to analyze oneself in relation to other people and
connect personal thoughts and feelings with that of others.
 Extra-personal: continuously expands beyond personal self and focuses on
the analysis of the environment.
 Contextual: focuses on intrapersonal, interpersonal and extra-personal
analysis within a given context or situation.
 EXERCISES FOR INCREASING SELF
AWARENESS

 Personality Tests
 Talking to friends and Family
 Create a personal mission statement
 Reflecting
 CONCLUSION

 Self-awareness is considered as the therapeutic tool for nurse client

relationship. The more the nurse will be self-aware the more a
therapeutic environment for caring will be enhanced.
 Therefore, it is recommended that nursing curricula should include some
aspects on development of self-awareness. There should also be some
opportunity for professional nurses whereby they can get help and
guidance to learn about self as a continuous learning process.
 REFERENCES
 Ahtisham Younas et al. Nurs Health Sci. 2020 Jun; Nurses'
perspectives of self-awareness in nursing practice: A descriptive
qualitative study
 Margie Eckroth-Bucher; Self-Awareness A Review and Analysis of a
Basic Nursing Concept October 2010ANS. Advances in nursing science
33(4):297-309 DOI:10.1097/ANS.0b013e3181fb2e4c
 Tamar Eurich; The Importance Of Self Awareness For Nurses:
Enhancing Professionalism And Patient Care. December 5, 2022
https://www.breakoutofthebox.com/the-importance-of-self-awarenes
s-for nurses-enhancing-professionalism-and-patient-care/
 Taylor, Andrew, "Effect of a Self-Care and Self-Awareness Education
Program on Resilience to Burnout and Depression in Clinically
Experienced Nursing Students" (2020). Undergraduate Honors
Theses. Paper 637. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/637
“Knowing Yourself is Life’s Eternal
Homework”
- Felicia Day

Thank You