The Importance of Being a Confident Healthcare Worker

No matter what healthcare setting you work in, you are always somewhat under a pressure cooker.

The responsibility of diagnosing and treating people to make them feel better involves knowing all the information introduced to you in your extensive education and executing procedures flawlessly.

There is not much room for error since a person's health and wellbeing are on the line.

For that reason, you may find yourself questioning your decisions or lacking confidence as a healthcare worker.

The Harms of Lacking Confidence in Healthcare

While it’s important to think critically in your healthcare field, you need to carry confidence in your insights and choices.

If you are hesitant over every diagnosis or treatment approach, you may cause more harm than good.

If you are a nurse tending to your patient, they will recognize your nervousness and insecurity while treating them.

This could impact how patients see you as their healthcare provider and make them feel more anxious about their situation.

If you don’t trust yourself while managing others’ health, they won’t be able to trust you either.

You could experience patients who question your diagnosis or recommendations as a practitioner.

If you are a nurse, you may have people refuse your help, causing conflict and hostility and leaving you needing someone else to fulfill your duties.

For these reasons, you need to build confidence in your healthcare services to communicate with patients as a reliable authority in your field.

If your patients trust you, you can establish positive relationships that will improve cooperation and willingness to follow your advice.

Remember that people experiencing health issues may feel highly stressed under their circumstances.

They count on their healthcare providers to reassure them and guide them to wellness.

If you are confident in your decisions, communication with patients, and treatment execution, you can offer a seamless medical experience.

You’ll also find yourself more willing to take the initiative in your field where appropriate and feeling more positive throughout your workdays.

By eliminating self-doubt in your services, you can make progress in your profession.

How You Can Enhance Your Confidence

Here are some techniques for improving your confidence as a healthcare professional:

Fake It ‘Til You Make It

This principle, considered a method of impression management, is scientifically proven to boost confidence.

If you are a new member of the frontline, you may be hyper-aware that your medical knowledge is still fresh and not based on personal experience.

However, your patients don’t need to know this.

While faking it should never entail administering treatment or diagnosing someone when you genuinely don’t know how to but present yourself like you’ve been in the field for years.

Carry yourself confidently as if you are an experienced expert who’s completed your regular nursing duties daily for years.

As a physician, speak with authority as if you run the practice you are working within.

Remember to maintain some humility while faking it, so you don’t get carried away with believing you have nothing more to learn.

However, repeating a mantra, like “I can do this,” can go a long way.

Unsure About Something? Ask Questions.

Find yourself questioning whether you are following a procedure correctly?

Ask an experienced nurse on the floor for reassurance.

Doing this will help you avoid making mistakes that could harm the patient or further damage your confidence in your services.

By seeking answers or double-checking with others, you’ll be more confident as you incorporate their helpful information to initiate the treatment properly.

If you are a physician facing a medical issue unfamiliar to you, consult with other doctors in your network who may have dealt with it and know what to do.

With the many variations of medical conditions, types of patients, and treatment options available, it’s challenging to be 100% sure that your choices are the best solutions for those receiving your services.

By bouncing ideas off other confident healthcare professionals, you can validate your decisions and be more sure of your choices.

Work With a Mentor

Mentorships are valuable for finding someone in your field who has extensive knowledge from their education and experiences.

Find someone in a position that you may aspire to attain, and listen to their insights on navigating medical practices.

Your mentor can be a colleague, supervisor, or another medical professional.

By asking questions, taking their advice, or learning about their personal experiences, you can learn more applicable information to contribute to your self-assuredness as a medical professional.

Your mentor will support you in your profession and offer new perspectives that will help you grow as a healthcare worker.

Remember Your Experience is Subjective

It’s easy to observe others in your field who seem to have mastered their role as medical professionals.

You may find yourself feeling inadequate when comparing your progress to your colleagues.

Belittling yourself could do more damage as you become overwhelmed with self-doubt, impairing your services.

Instead, remember that you are on your own path and take the opportunity to learn from those who you admire.

Every confident move you make will contribute to your personal feeling of accomplishment in your healthcare services.

So celebrate your successes and give yourself some credit.

Support yourself as you would for your coworkers who are also on the frontlines navigating the field by your side.

Keep Learning

By expanding your medical knowledge, you’ll feel more confident in your expertise as a healthcare professional.

Be open to learning more to be more sure of your services and contribute to your field.

Participating in specialized training programs will make you an asset in any healthcare setting.

With ProMed certifications, you can complete your ACLS, PALS, BLS and CPR, AED, and First Aid training from the comfort of your home.

Through the online learning platform, you can pause and pick up where you last left off so your training will fit into your busy schedule.

ProMed is unlike any other online medical training platform, as you can receive your North American-approved certifications with a 100% money-back guarantee.

That way, there’s no risk and only a high reward.

Grow your confidence by earning your ProMed certifications today.