[kbit]

I am really shy. I was on a floor unit but went to the OR after 6months. I have been there for about 5 years. I would love to go to maternity but am a little bit scared. In the OR my verbal interaction with the patient is about 5 minutes long. How can I get over my shyness/anxiety? What are some good communication skills that I can practice? What can I do to hone up on my skills/knowledge? (I am looking at L&D) Good site for CEU's?

[MagRedC5]

No matter the nursing specialty your always a patient advocate. When involved with patient care you are a teacher, so don't hold back communication. Don't fear saying something wrong, or afraid that you don't have anything earth shattering to say. Just think about the sitiuation at hand with the patient & let your mind guide your mouth as a vessel to empower your patient.

Have you ever taken a college speech course? Are you involed in any type of nursing organizations, like your local AORN chapter? If not, go to a meeting & get involved! Why do you think your shy? Are you shy with just patient's, or with everyone? Do you lack confidence, or shy away from confrontation? By you submitting post on this forum tells me you have the potential to overcome your shyness.

IMHO, nursing requires leadership, both as mentors to less experienced health care workers & our patient's. The role of an L&D nurse requires patient teaching, which has no room for shyness when in comes to patient-nurse interaction.

[nursinghumor]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Working as a nurse forces you to interact with a wide range of people from patients to family members to doctors and your fellow nurses. Even in the OR you need to deal with other nurses and physicians. You'll do a lot more of that in Labor & Delivery. By necessity Nursing often makes you overcome being shy.

You quickly learn that interacting with others, is not about being shy, but about taking care of your patients' needs. Know many a nurse that is extremely introverted off-duty but an extremely vocal advocate when it comes to their patient's needs.

It comes with time and experience. I wouldn't let that hold you back from trying a new area of Nursing.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[nursinghumor]

One of my favorite organizations for public speaking skills is:

Toastmasters International:"At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical Toastmasters club is made up of 20 to 30 people who meet once a week for about an hour. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice:"
http://www.toastmasters.org/

They have helped a lot of people overcome their fear of public speaking.

This is a link I recommend to nurse entrepreneurs, it can be helpful to you as well:

A Quick Guide to Preparing Professional Presentations, Nursing Spectrum, Online CEUs:"The ability to give an effective presentation is an essential skill for nurses. To advance within any practice setting, nurses need to be able to orally communicate their knowledge, ideas, opinions, and plans. One strategy to become a dynamic presenter is to seek an opportunity to speak and, after proper preparation, just do it."
http://nsweb.nursingspectrum.com/ce/ce183.htm

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[kbit]

I am reviewing my maternity, med surg, drugs, and labs to help me brush up. I know I lack confidence. I am great at skills and using my hands but when I go to speak it doesn't always come out the way I want it. I want my patient to be confident in me. I' m also afraid that even with all this studying I still won't have most of the answers to questions. What do patient's really expect. How indepth do they want you to get? It's easy to chat on these forums because I can take my time and don't feel put on the spot. I also talk on some pregnancy forums and some of the stuff they say is way over my head and they aren't medical personnel. I guess I will have to shadow for a little while to see if it is even for me. (lately though I feel myself becoming more at ease when talking to patients. lol Now after 5 years in the OR I am comfortable. I wonder if it will take that long if I switch to maternity.)

[kbit]

Thanks for the great web sites. It's funny because at home sometimes I am a bear and very assertive. At work I do speak and take care of business but I have a hard time making eye contact, etc. I've got to get a grip.