Nursing Emoti0onal Survival Guide
The document is a self‑help workbook designed for nurses to support their emotional wellbeing and improve workplace relationships. It combines reflective prompts (e.g., "What attracted you to nursing?"), strengths inventories, the Plutchik Emotions Wheel, communication‑style frameworks (passive, aggressive, passive‑aggressive, assertive), assertive‑communication techniques, "I"‑statement worksheets, compassionate (non‑violent) communication scaffolds, the Gottman Four Horsemen and antidotes, appreciation‑language exploration, cognitive‑distortion identification, distress‑tolerance (STOP) skills, and a suite of relational theories (Johari Window, Investment Model of Commitment, Interdependence Theory, Social Exchange Theory). The guide also provides structured worksheets for weekly meetings, gratitude tracking, vision‑board creation, SMART goal setting, and self‑love activities. Throughout, the tone is instructional and supportive, encouraging nurses to reflect, communicate more effectively, and build healthier professional and personal connections.
Topics
Reflective Foundations: Core Questions About Nursing Identity
A series of open‑ended prompts that invite nurses to explore why they entered the field, how their view of nursing has evolved, personal values, challenges, and sources of joy.
Strengths Inventory and Application
A comprehensive list of personal strengths with a worksheet to select top strengths and provide concrete examples of using them at work.
Emotions Wheel for Emotional Literacy
Adaptation of Plutchik’s wheel, categorising core, secondary, and tertiary emotions to help nurses label and communicate feelings.
Communication Style Matrix (Passive‑Aggressive‑Assertive‑Aggressive)
Definitions, characteristic statements, and scenario‑based practice tables that teach nurses to recognize and shift toward assertive communication.
Assertive Communication Toolkit
Key characteristics (clarity, empathy, confidence, respect) and sample assertive language for workplace interactions.
I‑Statement Worksheet and Reframing Exercises
Step‑by‑step guide to converting "you" statements into "I" statements, with examples and practice prompts.
Compassionate (Non‑Violent) Communication Framework
Four‑component scaffold (Observation, Feeling, Need, Request) with examples and reflective prompts for nurses.
Gottman’s Four Horsemen and Antidotes for Clinical Teams
Identification of criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling, contempt with specific antidote strategies tailored to nursing contexts.