Curiosity: The Key to Unlocking Your Nursing Potential
A curious nurse unlocking her potential.
Ever wonder how simple curiosity could be your secret weapon for standing out in nursing? It's not just about asking 'why'—it's about becoming the kind of nurse who always seeks better answers and never stops growing!
The song "I Am Not Okay" by Jelly Roll is a poignant expression of vulnerability, honesty, and hope. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation, anxiety, and frustration, a longing for connection, and a desire to heal.
Link to music: Jelly Roll - I Am Not Okay (Official Lyric Video)
The Mask of Okayness
The song's opening lines, "I am not okay / I'm barely getting by," challenge the common notion that we must always present ourselves as fine, even when we're struggling. The lyrics acknowledge the effort it takes to hide our true emotions, saying, "If I say I'm fine, just know I learned to hide it well." This resonates deeply with anyone who ever felt pressured to put on a brave face despite internal turmoil.
The Curious Nurse: A Reflection
As a curious nurse, I find this song speaks to the importance of empathy and understanding in patient interactions. We hide behind words that say, “I am fine” or “I'm okay”, when we are not. We must recognize that our patients, like Jelly Roll, may hide their struggles behind a mask of okayness. I know I tell people I am okay when I am not because I don't want to share my vulnerabilities. By acknowledging their vulnerability and sharing our own, we can create a safe space for healing and connection.
Amid chaos, "I Am Not Okay" offers a beacon of hope, reminding us that we're not alone and that, together, we can face our struggles head-on.
What is nursing professionalism?
What is Nursing Professionalism?
In other blogs and activities, we have learned that professionalism is not something you wear or put on to do your job. It is so much more! So, with that in mind, we need to look at curiosity and see how it is seen in the role of nursing and professionalism.
The Role of Curiosity in Nursing :
Asking 'Why?' Makes You a Better Nurse!
Ask yourself the question above during your next shift:
What do we know about this person?
What are their goals and values?
Do I know their history?
Do they trust me to share with me?
How can I build trust with them?
They are hiding behind a mask of okayness?
How do I get behind it?
Curiosity leads to better patient outcomes by encouraging nurses to seek the best answers, understand new treatments, and adapt to evolving practices. Answering these questions gives us more information about the patient. The more information we get and learn from, the better we will be at caring for our patients. We will be more in line with what the patients want for themselves in healthcare.
Imagine a new nurse, Emma, who noticed her post-op patient was more sluggish than expected after surgery. Instead of brushing it off, she kept asking: ' Why isn’t he improving? What could we be missing?'. Her curiosity led to early recognition of a complication, prompting a change in care that ultimately saved the patient from further issues. Emma’s drive to dig deeper improved patient care and showed how curiosity can transform an everyday nurse into a proactive leader on the floor."
***Has your curiosity ever helped solve a patient issue? Tell us your story in the comments!
Curiosity and Continuous Learning :
Staying Ahead in Nursing Through Curiosity
If we are curious, we will ask questions and look for webinars and articles to find the answers. We will not settle for the status quo, we will dig till we find the answers.
Attending workshops and reading research will put questions in our heads that will drive us to dig deeper. Reading research articles or even questions from our patients themselves, might even spur us to do some further questioning and research. Other things that spur our curiosity would be joining in discussions with other nursing students and new nurses. I have yet to see this from any of you who read my blog, but please join our conversation!
***What’s a new skill or piece of knowledge that curiosity led you to recently? We want to hear from you in the comments!
Are you asking the right questions?
Curiosity and Communication:
How Asking the Right Questions Improves Patient Relationships
Explore how curiosity enhances nurse-patient communication, improving trust and patient satisfaction.
By being curious, the nurse becomes engrossed in the information about the patient. The patient is the topic, and all the different questions just provide more information to be more curious about. Have you ever met someone you just had to know more about because they were so intriguing? This also happens with nurses and their patients. If you are trying to figure out what is going on with the patient, and you don't have the information you need, you would ask questions.
*** Do you ask patients questions beyond their immediate symptoms?
*** Have you ever dug deeper into a patient’s concerns just out of curiosity?
I had a patient named Quinn who liked to do what the nurse told her not to do. I had her one day as the director of nursing, and she did it for me. I asked her why she always did this. She said it was because her mom always told her ‘no’ to everything, so to act out, she always did the opposite of what anyone told her. I began telling her to do the opposite of what I wanted her to do, and we got along fine.
***If Quinn had been your patient, what would you have done?
*** What’s the best patient story you’ve uncovered just by being curious? Share it with us!
Professional Growth Through Curiosity
From Curiosity to Leadership: Why Curious Nurses Lead the Pack
Curiosity plays a vital role in fostering leadership qualities in nurses by driving them to constantly seek better solutions, improve teamwork, and enhance patient care. Here’s how curiosity nurtures leadership in nursing:
Proactive Problem-Solving:
Curious nurses don’t settle for “the way things have always been done.” They ask questions like, “Is there a more efficient way to complete this task?” or “What’s the latest evidence supporting this practice?” They often identify inefficiencies or potential risks in patient care by digging deeper. This proactive approach improves outcomes and positions them as thought leaders within the team.Encouraging Team Innovation:
Curiosity leads to collaboration. A nurse who constantly asks, “How can we do this better as a team?” fosters an environment of open communication. When team members are encouraged to share ideas and suggestions, it creates a culture of continuous improvement. This drives innovation in care protocols, workflow, and patient safety measures, a hallmark of strong leadership.Enhancing Emotional Intelligence:
Being curious about colleagues’ perspectives and patients' emotional states helps curious nurses develop empathy, which is key to emotional intelligence. Understanding different viewpoints can mediate conflicts, support colleagues, and ensure patient-centered care. This emotional intelligence makes them approachable and trusted leaders, especially during stressful situations.Driving Personal Growth:
Curiosity pushes nurses to keep learning—whether about new medical technologies, leadership strategies, or patient care techniques. This thirst for knowledge inspires others to follow suit, creating a ripple effect of growth and development within the team. Curious nurses constantly seeking to improve themselves are naturally seen as role models and future leaders.
Example:
Take Sarah, a curious nurse who noticed that communication breakdowns during handoffs often led to confusion. Instead of just accepting the situation, she explored better ways to organize reports and introduced a more structured handoff system. The team quickly adopted her method, improving teamwork and smoother transitions, showcasing her leadership through curiosity.
Curiosity doesn’t just lead to better patient care—it empowers nurses to take initiative, challenge the status quo, and lead their teams toward continuous improvement.
***How do you think curiosity can help you grow as a nurse leader? Let’s discuss.
Simple Steps to Cultivate Curiosity in Your Nursing Career
Boosting Your Curiosity Muscle Daily
Here are five actionable ways nurses can nurture curiosity in their daily practice:
Ask "Why?" Frequently:
Instead of accepting protocols at face value, make it a habit to ask “Why do we do it this way?” or “Why is this treatment recommended?” This drives deeper understanding of patient care, encourages critical thinking, and opens up opportunities for learning about the rationale behind medical decisions.Engage in Continuing Education:
Pursue workshops, webinars, and certifications to stay updated on the latest in nursing practice and medical advancements. By making continuous learning a priority, nurses can fuel their curiosity about new treatments, technologies, and care models that may improve patient outcomes.Seek Feedback from Colleagues and Patients:
Being open to feedback is an excellent way to nurture curiosity. Ask fellow nurses and healthcare professionals for their insights on your approach to care. Additionally, engaging patients by asking how they feel about their treatment can spark new ideas for improving the patient experience.Research and Stay Current on Evidence-Based Practices:
Stay curious about the latest research in nursing and medicine. Regularly reading journals, studies, or attending conferences helps you apply the best, most up-to-date care to your patients and encourages you to question and evaluate current practices.Explore Interdisciplinary Collaboration:
Collaborate with professionals from other healthcare fields, such as physical therapists, pharmacists, or social workers. Their perspectives can offer fresh insights and spark new ways of thinking about patient care, challenging nurses to consider new methods and strategies for holistic care.
These habits help nurses continuously grow, fostering leadership skills and improving both teamwork and patient care quality.
***Which of these steps are you going to try first? Let us know!
Comment below!
I invite my readers to join a discussion in the blog comment section to share tips and support each other in developing this essential skill.
Join the Conversation!
I encourage you to read and share your experiences in the comments, and I invite them to read other related blogs on nursing professionalism.
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments:
Has your curiosity ever helped solve a patient issue?
What’s a new skill or piece of knowledge that curiosity led you to recently?
Do you ask patients questions beyond their immediate symptoms?
Have you ever dug deeper into a patient’s concerns just out of curiosity?
What’s the best patient story you’ve uncovered just by being curious?
How do you think curiosity can help you grow as a nurse leader?
Which of these steps are you going to try first?
Any tips or stories you'd like to share with your fellow new nurses?
Ready to embark on this learning journey? Let's make this learning experience interactive and fun!
Share your answers in the blog comments to learn from each other.
Find this post on my Instagram!
Bonus: Please share the blog with colleagues who need a reminder that curiosity is crucial to staying professional! I am going to make a Canva post for you to send to your friends to share the blog
Go to my Instagram account (@nclex_one_on_one_tutoring) share it with your colleagues! Find this post!
